Couple who lost everything in Superstorm Sandy wins lottery

BY SPENCER ALLAN BROOKS, FoxCT

ROCKY HILL - A couple who survived Hurricane Sandy in 2012 is now getting a fresh start after winning the lottery.

Maryann Daino and Dennis Klaus relocated to Connecticut from Staten Island, New York after the storm.

On Monday the two claimed their $255,555 prize for winning the Connecticut Lottery "5 Card Cash" game. Before taxes the payout comes to $127,778 each. Their total prize after taxes came to $174,544.

Klaus actually bought the ticket back on October 12, 2014.

"We took our time claiming the prize," Klaus said. "We lost everything before and we didn't want to lose everything again. We wanted to be careful, so we talked to an accountant and a lawyer first."

"It's still kind of hard to accept the fact that I am alive and I have been given this miracle of placement in Connecticut," Daino told FoxCT in October 2013 when she and Klaus were among the many who received temporary homes in New Milford.

Now the two will get a new home.

"We're leaving here and going straight to the bank to put an offer on a house. It's the house of our dreams," Daino said. "It's important that people know you have to keep the faith because there is life afterwards, and there's a wonderful life waiting."

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