All week, Sammy Zabib was getting an earful from his girlfriend for forgetting to buy her a pair of designer jeans she spotted in a casino boutique last weekend.
They are not arguing now.
On a return trip to pick up the jeans and end the grief, the New York limousine fleet manager won nearly $800,000 (NT$25.8 million) playing a slot machine.
PHOTO: AFP
He got up at 5am and drove three hours to Atlantic City, arriving at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa before the boutique, Whim, opened at 10am.
In his pocket was a photocopy of a picture of the jeans that his girlfriend printed out for him, just to make sure there would be no confusion.
With some time to kill, he sat down at a Brazil Slingo slot machine and started playing, betting $4 (NT$130) a spin for about an hour.
"I was just trying to kill time until the store opened so I could get her those jeans," he said. "Then the machine stopped working. I didn't know why, so I called security. They came over, took a look at it, and said, 'You won the jackpot!'"
He called his girlfriend, whom he identified only as Anna, and she started screaming. "She wasn't mad anymore," he said with a laugh. "She's waiting for me at home now."
After receiving his payout from the casino, Zabib bought a pair of "7 For All Mankind" jeans - Dojo style - that Anna had wanted so badly.
"They're the hot brand right now," said Borgata spokesman Michael Facenda. "They go for $149 (NT$4,800) a pair."
Zabib does not know what else he will do with his newfound riches.
"Maybe buy her some more jeans," Zabib said. (AP)
山米．札比忘記幫女友買她上週末在賭場精品店相中的一條牛仔褲，為此，她女友在她耳邊叨唸了一整個禮拜。
但他們現在不吵了。
這位紐約大轎車車隊經理為圖耳根清靜，在專程回去買那條牛仔褲的途中，他玩吃角子老虎大賺了將近八十萬美元（相當於新台幣兩千五百八十萬元）。
他五點就起床，開了三小時的車到大西洋城的伯加塔大飯店，早在精品店「Whim」十點開門前兩小時就到了。
他的口袋裡放著一張他女友怕他買錯而印給他的牛仔褲圖片。
為了打發等待的空檔，他坐下開始玩一局四美元（約合新台幣一百三十元）的賓果吃角子老虎機，玩了大約一個小時。
「我本來只是想在商店開門殺點時間再去買那條牛仔褲，」他說：「然後那台機器忽然不動了，我不知道為什麼，就請了保全人員來看，他們過來檢查了一下就對我說：『你中大獎了！』」
他立刻打電話給他女友安娜（他並未透露姓氏），然後她開始尖叫；「她不再生我的氣了，」他笑著說：「她現在在家裡等著我回去。」
到賭場櫃檯兌現後，札比買了那條讓安娜情牽夢縈的「7 For All Mankind」牌Dojo款牛仔褲。
「這個品牌現正當紅，」飯店發言人麥可．法森達表示：「一條要價一百四十九美元（相當於新台幣四千八百元）。」
札比目前還沒決定要怎麼花這筆意外之財。
「也許我會替安娜多買幾條牛仔褲吧，」札比說。
（美聯社／翻譯：袁星塵）
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