FILM 1436: IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU
TRIVIA: The movie is based on the
true story of Phyllis Penzo and Officer Robert Cunningham. For twenty-four
years, Penzo served as a waitress at Sal's Pizzeria in Yonkers, New York.
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.
(His favorite dish was linguine with clams.) One day in March, 1984, Cunningham
asked Penzo for help picking his weekly lottery numbers. Penzo suggested three
numbers, and Cunningham came up with three more numbers on his own. Cunningham
jokingly promised that if he won, he would split the winnings with Penzo as a
tip. The next day, to Penzo's surprise, Cunningham and his wife came to the
diner with the winning lottery ticket in hand. Cunningham's ticket had won $6
million, which he split with Penzo, giving her $3 million. In real life,
however (as stated in a disclaimer at the end of the movie), Cunningham and
Penzo were both happily married to other people for many years.
Released in the UK in the same week
that the National Lottery was launched.
Madonna and Marisa Tomei turned down
the role of Yvonne Biasi.
The title was originally going to
be "Cop Gives Waitress Two Million Dollar Tip".
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