Petros Marinakos was born and raised in Chicago by his immigrant parents, who are originally from Greece.

The 36-year-old man was just another ordinary Greek American trying to make ends meet, until a stroke of luck changed his life.

After Marinakos bought his Lucky Day Lotto ticket, he gave it to his dad before heading to work. Marinakos jokingly asked him to take care of his “winning ticket” and check it after the drawing. His father went back to the gas station and scanned it.

“When my dad told me I won, I couldn’t believe it,” Marinakos said. “I was joking when I called it a winning ticket. I never believed it would be!”

So how does Marinakos plan to spend the money he won?

“I plan to share this prize with my parents,” Petros Marinakos said in a statement. “They have always taken care of me so I want to take care of them.”

“Today it’s all about them,” the young man added. “I’d like to buy them a new car, but I’ll do whatever they prefer.”

Source: www.nbcchicago.com