Thomas Pianelli of Raleigh was sitting in his car on Monday morning when his $5 scratch-off ticket revealed a $150,000 top prize.

“I just sat there staring at the ticket in amazement,” he recalled.

Pianelli, a former service manager for an industrial truck business, purchased his winning Holiday Luck X50 ticket from the Buffaloe Express on Buffaloe Road in Raleigh.

“I recently retired and a couple times a week, I go to the corner store and purchase a couple scratch offs,” he said. “I did the same thing this morning and after scratching the Holiday ticket I’m still shaking!”

Pianelli claimed his prize Monday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required federal and state tax withholdings, he took home $106,126.

“Definitely some savings and helping out the kids, of course,” said Pianelli of his plans for the prize money.

Holiday Luck X50 launched this month with three top prizes of $150,000. One top prize remains to be won.

Ticket sales from scratch-offs make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $725 million per year for education. For details on how lottery funds have helped all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.