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, New York City police detective Robert Cunningham was at South Pizzeria in Yonkers when he jokingly asked waitress Phyllis Penzo if they could split a lottery ticket instead of tipping her. The two end up picking three numbers and playing a one-dollar New York Lotto ticket. The movie is based on the true story of Phyllis Penzo and Officer Robert Cunningham. That's right, Cunningham ended up winning after all, and true to his promise, shared the $6 million prize right down the middle. news She didnt believe it at first because she was still half-asleep and, well, because it was April Fools Day! She then moves in with her mother in The Bronx and goes back to her old manicure job. I would love to hear your opinions, comment down below. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The movie added a little more drama (it never claimed to be based on a true story). It Could Happen to You (1994 film) | Santiago Wikia | Fandom Sal's Pizzeria, where he worked, was a hangout for the Yonkers police. 2023-05-01T11:26:47.685Z, At the request of Avi Maoz, the secretary of the government in a letter to the ministers: to issue forms also with the headings "father" and "mother" - voila! After Cunningham finally convinced her that it was not a joke, she screamed and woke her husband, Robert, a construction worker, to tell him they were rich. It Could Happen to You (1994 film) - Wikipedia After all, he says, Penzo helped pick the winning numbers. None of the drama in this film happened to . 2023-05-01T12:21:15.986Z, The chief of immigration is prosecuted for the fire in Ciudad Jurez that left 40 dead. As mentioned earlier, they are long-time friends. Yvonne, feeling guilty at costing Charlie all his money, storms out of court in tears and tries to keep away from Charlie. In 1984, Phyllis Penzo was a waitress at a pizzeria commonly frequented by Yonkers, New York police officers. Cunningham jokingly promised that if he won, he would split the winnings with Penzo as a tip. 7900 oak lane suite 200 miami lakes, fl 33016. newborn take me home outfit boy. Robert walks into Sal's Pizza - possibly the Katz's equivalent from When Harry Met Sally - and orders something for his friend Penzo. Cunningham and Penzo had been friends for 15 years at that point, so some friendly ribbing wasnt unusual. When asked about the artists who performed them, Phyllis said that she wished she was like Bridget Fonda, adding, Naturally, I was thrilled when we won. She accepted and was rewarded . After Charlie and Muriel get divorced, Muriel's new husband Jack Gross flees the country with all her money, revealing himself to be a con man. The poor customer is actually a disguised photographer, Angel Dupree, who is revealed to be the film's narrator; he takes photos of the couple and in the next day's newspapers publicly praises their willingness to share a meal and some cash with him, even in "their darkest hour". In the movie's initial phase, it was originally titled "The $2 Million Tip". The one where EW follows up with the cast. Apparently it is an ordinary day. 2023-05-01T12:39:05.382Z, Gantz: "Negotiations on the reform are not progressing - especially not regarding the Committee for the Appointment of Judges" - Voila! On Friday afternoon, March 30, 1984, 55-year-old Dobbs Ferry Police Department Chief of Detectives Sgt. A COP ONCE TIPPED A PIZZA WAITRESS $3 MILLION, Ranking All Six Episodes of the Very So-So First Season of Parks and Recreation, The Funniest Thing on Netflix Right Now is the Success of The Snowman, There Is No Excuse Left to Not Call Your Parents: Parrots That FaceTime Each Other Are Less Lonely, Mussolinis Granddaughter Had Beef With Jim Carrey, John Mulaney Turned Down the Hosting Gig on The Daily Show Because His Sitcom Sucked So Bad, Four Ways Humans Are Terrible at Communicating, According to Science. Cunningham kept their verbal agreement and split the $6 million jackpot when he learned that the ticket had won. How the tradition of leaving "for tea" appeared and where it is not 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]. But no, I didn't marry Bob, and I would never get on one of those balloons (like Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda do in the movie to celebrate). He promised to split the winnings between them if he won. 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. Muriel gets fed up with Charlie's constant donations and overall simplicity and throws him out of their apartment, asking for a divorce. She, without knowing that her prognosis would be wrong, replied: "I think I. However,the only thing that It Could Happen to You got right about Cunningham and Penzos story is the core premise: a New York cop sharing a lottery win with a waitress. "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. Rosie Perez appeared in the sequel, Perdita Durango. news "A $6M Win and This Cop Went Hollywood." The film was remade in Hindi as Bade Dilwala, which was released in 1999 and in Telugu as Bahumati in 2007. No antagonists making things hard for our heroes. Rotten Tomatoes calculates a "Fresh" rating with a score of 71% based on reviews from 35 critics. 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 the film, Cage and Fonda end up falling in love). For twenty-four years, Penzo served as a waitress at Sal's Pizzeria in Yonkers, New York. Cunningham's ticket had won $6 million, which he split with Penzo, giving her $3 million. (2004, June 26). Cage is a gracious, good-natured New York cop who wins the lotto; against the wishes of his demanding, mercurial wife (Perez), he splits it with a hard-luck waitress (Fonda) as repayment for not leaving a tip! Two years after hanging the plaque, he was still living peacefully in Dobbs Ferry, considered by him as the best place in the world. Naturally the ticket wins and the pair fall for each other. Robert Cunningham, 64, was shot and killed at the Potomac Avenue Metro station two weeks ago. EW: So there was never anything between you two?Cunningham: Nah. The working title was originally "Cop Gives Waitress Two Million Dollar Tip," mimicking the newspaper headline that inspired the movie. When Muriel and Charlie divorce, Muriel wants all the money that Charlie won for herself. He says that if they win, they will split the prize in half. Updated 09/20/2021 7:00 AM Phyllis Penzo was a waitress at Sal's Pizzeria in Yonkers, New York, for twenty-four years. The main premise wherein a waitress receives a winning lottery ticket as a tip that actually happened! The end credits include a disclaimer stating that although the film was inspired by true events, at the time of production both Phyllis and Robert were happily married to their respective spouses. Not only a good showcase for the film's three ideal leads, but also a kindhearted film that gives hope to the notion of human decency. Robert Cunningham offered a waitress at his favorite pizzeria half of his lottery ticket instead of a tip. One could assure that the lives of these two people changed after they made three million for a playful bet. Thus was born, several licenses in between, the film mentioned above. Copyright 2022 | Lottery Critic. International Naturally, I was thrilled when we won. On March 30, 1984. On This Day In 1984, the world's "most valuable tip" was - Facebook This is what happened. 2023-05-01T12:08:42.732Z, Calderone, fund for the compensation of school-work victims 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 both stories, the tip was a tad bigger than either expected from a $5 ticket that could also have paid out something tiny. They each picked half of the numbers and won a $6 million lotto prize in New York apparently with no drama from their respective spouses. Mar 31 138th Grand National: Neale Doughty wins aboard 13/1 Hallo Dandy; 23 . : "He has a projection to play in the first team" A fun fact can be told at any time and doesn't have to be relevant to anything. 2023-05-01T12:21:10.484Z, Book Fair 2023: the must-sees of May 1st It was worth six million dollars: three million for each of them. 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. 2023-05-01T12:57:16.628Z, On the border with the Indian: they presented the novel by Miguel Gaya, winner of the Clarn Award 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. Marketing and digital 2023-05-01T12:38:59.891Z, Actor Matthew Lawrence says he was fired from his agency after refusing to pose naked for a successful film director For twenty-four years, Penzo served as a waitress at Sal's Pizzeria in Yonkers, New York. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action. After all, the possibility of winning millions is much more tempting than a measly tip. A police officer promises to share his lottery ticket with a waitress in lieu of a tip. Article 096580 -- No Title - The New York Times It's a ridiculous way of getting the two leads in a romance movie together. In March of that year, Officer Robert Cunningham, a regular patron and longtime friend of Penzo, suggested that the two split a lottery ticket, each of them choosing three of the six numbers, in lieu of his leaving her a tip. Penzo spent three more years as a waitress before retiring early. Nicolas Cage tells Bridget Fonda in, She, without knowing that her prognosis would be wrong, replied: "I think I'll never see you again.". Netflix subscribers cant get enough of Harry Hole. A Fulbright Scholar with diplomatic . Phyllis received her tip of $3 million as she was promised. 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. Today's fact about the lottery - PlayLottoWorld Blog Penzo . PHYLLIS C. - Chief Advancement Officer - LinkedIn It Could Happen to You (film) - Alchetron, the free social encyclopedia 2023-05-01T13:20:49.553Z, They want to control Pulga Rodrguez 'minute by minute': he woke up, but he does not remember anything about the brutal accident Apocalypse Later Film Reviews: It Could Happen to You (1994) When interviewed by Entertainment Weekly, Phyllis expressed discontentment with the portrayal of a love story when that wasnt her story with Robert at all. 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. 2023-05-01T14:03:06.602Z, He never arrived at his accommodation: police are looking for construction worker - only his car was found The 50 greatest TV and movie detectives of all time. Nicolas Cage, Bridget Fonda, and Rosie Perez were all born in 1964. Welcome to our Fun Fact Compilation! 2023-05-01T12:02:53.609Z, "Mask Singer": the production defends Mel B after the words of Anny Duperey In real life, apparently Cunningham's wife was fine with the split, which is a little surprising. Each picked three of the six numbers; Cunningham walked across the street and bought their ticket. 2023-05-01T12:38:48.937Z, Katy Perry loses the trial against Katie Perry: the singer infringed the trademark of the Australian designer Lottery Winners: 10+ Unbelievable Stories of Lottery Winners! The front page of New York Post with the headline Cop Gives Waitress $2M Tip! Suddenly losing your entire fortune and then randomly getting another half a million had no basis in the real-life storythat was just based on Nic Cage's average Tuesday. Forero, Juan. 2023-05-01T14:14:56.583Z, Elections 2023, LIVE: the STEP and all the candidates, minute by minute In 1984 Phyllis Penzo was a waitress and Officer Robert Cunningham a regular patron . The tradition of leaving "for tea" originated in the vastness of England and eventually spread to almost all countries. Officer Robert Cunningham and waitress Phyllis Penzo were actually good friends who joked one day about sharing a lottery ticket to cover her tip. A true fun fact should be memorable and make people laugh. This is the place today where the arrangement would have been consummated. She flirts with him and later starts an affair. On April Fool's Day (of all days), Cunningham called Phyllis at 9 a.m. to tell her he had just won $6 million dollars and that she was entitled to half of it.