Color data: in the film his name is Charlie Lang and she is Yvonne Blasi. In the 1994 romantic-comedyIt Could Happen to You,a New York City cop (portrayed by Nicolas Cage) wins big at the lottery and splits the prize with his waitress friend (portrayed by Bridget Fonda). She flirts with him and later starts an affair. These are the charges against you This is the true story of Robert Cunningham and Phyllis Penzo the real-life inspirations for the main characters of the hit movie. In 1984, Phyllis Penzo was a waitress at a pizzeria commonly frequented by Yonkers, New York police officers. Phyllis was immediately ready to shell out some of her millions, as she immediately invested in a new home as well as new cars for her family. It Could Happen to You Movie Review - Contests & Sweepstakes news In the movie, Cage loses all the money to his wife, who leaves him (and then she loses the money to a con artist). How the Hell Did The Late Late Show with James Corden Lose $20M Every Year? This material may not be reproduced without permission. Officer Robert Cunningham, a frequent customer, suggested that Phyllis Penzo and he split a lottery ticket with each of them selecting three of the six numbers. News The firefighters of Hook & Ladder No. "Lottery spouse dies in roof fall", "1993-94 Film Releases (C)1993 Eric G. Carter", "After 24 Years Pushing Pizza, Waitress Phyllis Penzo Gets a Tip to Remember: $3 Million", "Based on a True Story: The real people behind the lotto premise of, "Hollywood returns to Tribeca's 'Enchanted' corner", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=It_Could_Happen_to_You_(1994_film)&oldid=1134272312, This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 21:15. cunningly.bandcamp.com. Next time you dine out, remember to tip well, and maybe even throw a lottery ticket into the mix. She, without knowing that her prognosis would be wrong, replied: "I think I. Penzo agreed, and though she subsequently forgot about it, when Cunningham discovered that the ticket had won a $6 million prize, he honored their verbal agreement and split the money evenly with Penzo.[4]. Thanks for watching this video. Subscribe Here: https://www.youtube.com/zippTV_?sub_confirmation=1Urban dictionary defines a funfact or funfact as a short fact that can be about anything, as long as it is interesting and fun. 2023-05-01T11:44:47.866Z, Better Call Saul's Bob Odenkirk Adds to Hit Series Rotten Tomatoes calculates a "Fresh" rating with a score of 71% based on reviews from 35 critics. The very concept of "tipping" appeared in England David, Will. Beyond this basic premise, the film is entirely fictional, with the backgrounds of the film's characters and the events depicted in the film subsequent to their lottery win bearing no resemblance to the actual lives of Penzo and Cunningham. This fact came from the One Cracked Fact newsletter. Penzo stayed in Yonkers with her husband and bought her mother a house. 5 Lottery Themed Movies and TV Shows You Must Watch! Have you seen the Nic Cage movie It Could Happen to You? Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action Little Mermaid with a new generation's Ariel. Cunningham, who ordinarily might have left a couple of dollars on the restaurant table, had no regrets about splitting the prize. For some reason, the movie's French title happens to be "Milliardaire malgr lui", which could roughly translate as "The Accidental Billionaire", "The Unwilling Billionaire" or even more literally "A Billionaire In Spite of Himself" which is weird because Charlie's winning lottery ticket makes him a millionaire, not a billionaire. 2023-05-01T13:20:43.945Z, Wood carvers in the square in Trieste with chainsaws EW: Rosie Perez portrays your wife as quite a money-grubber. By what name was It Could Happen to You (1994) officially released in India in English? robert cunningham - @Cunningly. Sure, it's easy to imagine you'd say, "$3 million, $6 million, same thing, we're rich either way," but between taxes and the payment timeline, that's a difference between a family getting $86,000 a year and $172,000 a year, which can lead to two very different lifestyles. EW: So there was never anything between you two?Cunningham: Nah. Phyllis received her tip of $3 million as she was promised. Robert Cunningham and Phyllis Penzo starred in a lottery commercial after the win The 1994 rom-com, starring Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda, sees a police officer promising a waitress. Each picked three of the six numbers; Cunningham walked across the street and bought their ticket. Historical Events in 1984 (Part 2) Mar 30 US ends participation in multinational Lebanon peace force. 2023-05-01T12:08:42.732Z, Calderone, fund for the compensation of school-work victims Robert walks into Sal's Pizza - possibly the Katz's equivalent from When Harry Met Sally - and orders something for his friend Penzo. I don't have enough for a tip, I will split the lottery ticket. Nicolas Cage tells Bridget Fonda in, She, without knowing that her prognosis would be wrong, replied: "I think I'll never see you again.". What Happened in 1984 - On This Day Cunningham, a thirty-year police veteran, was a regular diner at Sal's, where he liked to order linguine with clam sauce and maintain a steady flow of banter with Penzo, other employees, and regular customers. What do you think? 2023-05-01T12:03:04.546Z, Japan cries for the final decision of Daisuke Takahashi, an ice skating legend $287,715 annually for 21 years, each. She sets up a table with Charlie's name at which people who cannot afford food can eat for free. Whether he's screaming, swooning, or sweeping us off our feet, Nic Cage's career is, honestly, kinda perfect. Predictable every step of the way, and hard to believe (though it's purportedly based on a true story), but it's so well-performed, so irresistibly charming, so sweet and romantic that you really don't mind. That's right, Cunningham ended up winning after all, and true to his promise, shared the $6 million prize right down the middle. In 1984, New York City detective Robert Cunningham was dining at Sal's Pizzeria in Yonkers when he suggested to his waitress and long-time friend Phyllis Penzo that the two split a lottery ticket instead of tipping on the bill. When Robert Cunningham, a police detective, finished one of his regular meals in South Pizzeria in Yonkers in 1984, he had no money to leave a tip. The two end up picking three numbers and playing a one-dollar New York Lotto ticket. Waiters gets a $3 million tips from a lottery winner You'll never believe which real-life actress inspired Julia Roberts Except for the part about us winning, its totally fiction. The Coffee Shop that Ivonne works in and eventually buys is located in the Bowery, which is the lower part of Manhattan near Chinatown which is the beat that Charlie and his partner walk as NYPD officers. Cunningham and Penzo were never a couple in real life. Penzo bought a house, a car for her husband and her daughter, and traveled a bit. In another development, Charlie becomes a hero for foiling an attempted robbery at a grocery store but gets wounded in the process, forcing him to take leave from the police force. Cunningham, a thirty-year veteran of the police force in nearby Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., was a regular customer at the restaurant, well-liked by the staff there." Mar 30 World's most valuable tip - New York police detective Robert Cunningham offers waitress Phyllis Penzo half of $1 lottery ticket, next day they win $6 million. In It Could Happen to You, strangers Charlie and Yvonne are both married to unbearable, self-centered people, and they find solace in each other amidst their turbulent personal lives. 2023-05-01T12:20:53.959Z, The US prepares accelerated controls of asylum applications at the border: this is what is known so far At that time it was learned that with the money he earned he bought a large, old Italian-style house in which his father-in-law, he and his wife and two of his sisters-in-law lived. in 1984 Phyllis Penzo was a waitress and Officer Robert Cunningham a regular patron suggested that the two split a lottery ticket, each of them choosing three of the six numbers. Thus was born, several licenses in between, the film mentioned above. Sources: In 1984, Dobbs Ferry Police officer Robert Cunningham split a winning lottery ticket with Sal's Pizzeria waitress Phyllis Penzo, netting Phyllis approx. Dont forget to share with your friends and family. Somebody managed to get a Nigerian scammer to copy an entire Harry Potter book by hand. He says that if they win, they will split the prize in half. So, the reporter was looking at a picture in the paper that hadn't been taken yet. The film is based on the true story of New York police officer Robert Cunningham who made a verbal agreement with his waitress, Phyllis Penzo, to split the money if he won the lottery. Home and design Forero, Juan. Random act of kindness - Wikipedia by Knowledge Ninja | Jun 6, 2022 | Fun Facts, Knowledge Chops, Buy one Powerball ticket and get a second one free! The film is based on police officer Robert Cunningham, who told New York waitress Phyllis Penzo that he'd split his 1984 lottery winnings with her after each of them chose three of the six numbers. Penzo . when Cunningham discovered that the ticket had won a $6 million prize, he honored their verbal agreement and split it | Knowledge Ninja Claim: A policeman promised a waitress half the winnings from his lottery ticket. It is readily preventable by making sure puppies get all their vaccines, although Yvonne probably lacked the money to pay for them. In 1984, New York City police detective Robert Cunningham was at South Pizzeria in Yonkers when he . What did you do?Penzo: I hate macadamia nuts! Cunningham and Penzo led very normal lives, all things considered. Other lottery winnersoften say the same, though many very publicly fall off the deep end when faced with the excitement and responsibility of winning millions. Charlie doesn't mind giving his share of the money but Muriel also wants the money he gave Yvonne, which causes Charlie to take the case to court. 2023-05-01T12:21:15.986Z, The chief of immigration is prosecuted for the fire in Ciudad Jurez that left 40 dead. The next day, to Penzo's surprise, Cunningham and his wife came to the diner with the winning lottery ticket in hand. The film was remade in Hindi as Bade Dilwala, which was released in 1999 and in Telugu as Bahumati in 2007. The incredible story of the cop and the waitress who exchanged a tip Still, who knows maybe one day you might just end up sharing a lottery win with a stranger, only to fall in love with them. 2023-05-01T12:32:43.215Z, An Arkansas woman is charged with selling stolen body parts for $11,000 Cunningham, a thirty-year veteran of the police force in nearby Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., was a regular customer at the restaurant, well-liked by the staff there. Ten years after they split a $6 million New York State Lotto prize, we caught up with Robert Cunningham, 65 (now retired and living in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., with his wife, Gina), and Phyllis Penzo, 58 (still residing in Yonkers, N.Y., with her husband, Robert), the real cop and waitress who inspired It Could Happen to You, to find out what they think of their screen personas.