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In 1981, Lou Eisenberg won $5 million in the New York lottery. The next year, Curtis Sharp beat 609-million-to-1 odds to win the same amount. They went on to do a series of classic lottery ads in the early '80s, then disappeared from the public eye. When the Daily News caught up with them in 2009, Eisenberg had spent so much of his money that he was living in a mobile home. Sharp was slightly better off; he'd kept his job for eight years after he won, so he was able to retire with a pension. It's a cautionary tale, but for a few brief years in the '80s, they were stars. We've got one of their ads, plus a couple other vintage Lotto commercials, after the jump.
Year: 1985
What to look for: Sharp's bowler hat. It was his signature accessory.
Year: 1988
What to look for: The guy who says "Yonkahs."
Year: 1987
What to look for: There are a bunch of other commercials on this clip, but the Lotto one comes first. Warning: That song might end up in your head for the rest of the day.