Mystery millionaire keeps Hub guessing

by Paul Sullivan and Azell Murphy Cavaan
Friday, April 9, 1999

The wild hunt was on in the Hub yesterday for the lucky person who won the $197 million Big Game prize - the second biggest lottery jackpot in U.S. history.

Reporters from Boston and around the globe, including the Daily Mirror, the London Times and America's TV networks converged on the Town Taxi garage in the Fenway.

The story of one possible winner - a cabbie known as Patrick Okusanya, a Nigerian immigrant - was just one tale that took on a life of its own.

But as of late yesterday, the multi-millionaire was still a phantom.

``Trying to find Patrick is like the search for Amelia Earhart. But a guy like that in a cab can't hide from the world,'' said John Ford, vice president of Town Taxi, where some drivers say Okusanya could be the winner.

``He came over here in a small boat but he's going back in a Lear jet,'' added Ford.

Or the winner could be an 18-year-old college student with the initials GD, according to another rumor circulating at the Star Market on Boylston Street in the Fenway where the winning ducat was sold.

There was another wild story that the winner had returned to the scene of his triumph and was passing out dough to any and all.

But many Town Taxi cabbies were betting on the Nigerian taxi driver, who's been pushing a hack around town for 10 years.

Ford said, ``I haven't seen hide nor hair of him'' since he supposedly found out he won at the Logan Airport taxi pool Wednesday morning.

Ford said Okusanya announced he held the winner after another cabbie read the winning combination from the Herald as cabs were lined up at the airport.

At least two other taxi drivers said they saw his ticket before he drove off, Ford said.

He never radioed Town Taxi, and dispatchers have not been able to reach him.

The dispatcher at Town Taxi started broadcasting all points bulletins yesterday afternoon to other cabbies in the fleet asking: ``Have you seen Patrick.''

Because he's an independent driver who leases his cab, he didn't have to return the car to the garage.

``He owes me $60 in fees that's four days overdue and I'll put a lien on his check,'' Ford said.

``But he's an easy-going, kicked-back, hard-working guy who works 60 hours a week,'' Ford added. Okusanya's last known address was in Chelsea.

Godwin Ugbesia, 40, who's been driving taxis 15 years, said Okusanya has two children. ``He's a member of the Yoruba tribe in southern Nigeria.

``That's a large community here all over Boston,'' Ugbesia said.

``He's about 6-foot-3-inches tall, with a strong accent and he was always looking for opportunies,'' Ugbesia said. ``A couple of years ago he asked if I'd like to buy a cab with him.''

Ugbesia added, ``I'm a go-getter too. If I won, I'd try to make more money rather than spend it.''

Carlos Dominguez, 48, who's been driving a cab for 25 years, said, ``There's no talk from his Nigerian friends on the radio today. Maybe they're having a little party.''

If Dominguez had won, he declared he would ``buy an island, gather all my family together but they would have to live a mile down the road.''

But not all the cabbies believe the Okusanya story.

One cab owner said, ``Did you ever know a cabdriver to wait more than an hour to get his money?''

Lottery spokeswoman Susan Frigoletto warned, ``No one has come forward. It's totally speculation.''

Whoever the winner is, she/he has a year to claim the prize that, after taxes, will pay a lump sum of about $70 million, or 26 annual payments of about $5.1 million.

Meanwhile, the Star Market was also receiving phone calls on the person who bought Tuesday night's winning ticket - numbers 12, 17, 22, 33 and 44 with the Big Money Ball of 25.

``When I heard the winner was at the store passing out money, I almost left my job to come here,'' said Sandra Sellers, who was waiting in line at the market deli yesterday afternoon.

``I guess none of that stuff ended up being true. I feel better knowing I didn't miss a week's worth of free groceries.''

``There are tons of rumors flying around here,'' quipped Star Market service manager Terry Traficante.

``But unfortunately none of them were true - especially the one where the winner was supposed to be on his way to give store employees half a million dollars.''

And there were other colorful but untrue stories.

Identifying himself as the winner's son, a caller told a Star Market employee that his father was on his way to the store in a white stretch limousine to take pictures.

``We waited and waited,'' Traficante said. ``He even called back to say his father was just down the street and the limo driver needed directions.''

Beverly Ford and Laura Brown contributed to this story.