Who Is the N.J. Multimillionaire?

March 10, 2007 — -- As the excitement of a record-breaking lottery intensifies, New Jersey residents are still waiting to hear from the winner of a Mega-Millions ticket worth $196 million.

In Woodbine, N.J., where the winning ticket was purchased, residents are posting the news, although you'd be hard pressed to find someone in the close-knit community who doesn't know there's a mystery millionaire in their midst.

"Everybody is playing super sleuth," said Jim Schroeder, the owner of Campark Liquors. "[People say], I think I know, I think I know."

Schroeder's store sold the winning ticket. Although he's clearly enjoying the attention, he says he doesn't know any more than anyone else.

Days after the drawing, New Jersey lottery officials confirm no winner has come forward to claim the other half of the $390 million jackpot. Georgia trucker Ed Nabors wasted no time claiming his half. He picked up his check first thing the next morning.

So what's taking this winner so long?

"Everyone knows everyone … so that's the motive I think for not [telling anyone] that you won," said Woodbine resident Allison Raisch.

At the local bar, Bellevue Tavern, the conspiracy theories are flowing faster than the drinks. The morning after the lottery drawing, a cook at Bellevue said he was the winner and then quit his job.

"He gave me a big hug," the tavern's owner Dennis Roberts said.

But an hour later, the cook came back because he had misread the ticket.

"I do believe him," Roberts said. "He's really, really embarrassed by the hoopla."

Art Hoffman has searched dumpsters because he is so convinced he threw out the winner.

"I'm waiting for someone to turn it in so I can get the knots in my stomach out," Hoffman said.