When a Brooklyn great-grandma’s palm began to itch, she didn’t let the sign of good fortune slip through her fingers — she picked up a lottery ticket that scored her a $64 million jackpot.
But lady luck was kindest to Mary Shammas’ family, after the cancer-stricken former Wall Street receptionist chose to share the bulk of the $42 million Mega Millions lump-sum payment with her four children and a nephew.
Shammas, 73, said she was on the bus heading home to Bay Ridge after a doctor’s appointment on May 25 when her left palm started itching.
“I scratched and I scratched, and I said, ‘This must mean something,’ ” the “semi-superstitious” grandmother of seven said.
According to some superstitions, an itching left palm means money is on the way.
So Shammas got off the bus and made a beeline for the Lucky Lotto store on Third Avenue, down the block from where she lives.
Fortunately, she had her favorite numbers — 5, 14, 17, 19 and 24 — in her purse. The numbers correspond to the birthdays of family members.
When the great-grandmother of two watched the numbers pop up on TV that night, she realized she was a multi-millionaire.
“I thought I was going to faint,” she said.
Shammas, who is battling lung cancer, took the smallest share — $1.3 million after taxes — leaving most of the cash to her two daughters, two sons and a nephew.
Each of her children will receive about $6 million after taxes, and her nephew will get nearly $2 million after taxes.
“I want to make my family comfortable and happy,” said Shammas. The newly minted winner endearingly warbled, “We are family, me and my children and me,” to the tune of “We Are Family.”
She said she has no plans for how she’ll spend her share.
Her son Richard Shammas, a Long Island construction-company owner, said his mom has played Lotto her whole life.
“But she hasn’t played in a long time because she hasn’t been able to get out of the house, because of her illness,” he told The Post. “When she was finally able to get out of bed, she played the Lotto and this was the result.”