20 big lottery winners whose money and luck ran out

Covering her assets?

Denise Rossi had been married for a quarter century when she won $1.3 million in the California Lottery in 1996. One of her first moves was to ask for a divorce from her husband — who had no idea she had hit the jackpot.

Thomas Rossi uncovered the news a few years later when he opened a letter asking if she wanted to take her winnings in a lump sum rather than in annual payments. So, he sued.

In 1999, a judge declared that Denise Rossi had violated state asset-disclosure laws. The result? Her ex-husband received all of her winnings.

He had described a friendly marriage in his court filing. “We even shared the same electric toothbrush,” he said.

During an interview with People in 2004, while he was collecting close to $50,000 a year from his court victory — he didn’t seem to miss the toothbrush togetherness.

“If it wasn’t for the lotto, Denise and I would probably still be together,” Thomas Rossi said. “Things worked out for the best.”