Lucky Wheel of Fortune The contestant had a blast and a huge win on Monday’s (December 23) episode of the long-running game show. And with that he left the show’s host almost speechless.

Thomas Russo of Scarsdale, New York, proved to be a force to be reckoned with when he took over the legendary wheel. Russo, a New York Mets and New York Jets fan who dreams of visiting Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, competed against Brenda Sweetser of Oak Lawn, Illinois, and Cobina Gibson of Chicago, Illinois.

It was initially stable for Russo before he took up the game in the Express Round, increasing his winnings to $11,700 and securing a trip to the Caribbean island of Bonaire. He continued to dominate the Triple Toss Up, eventually reaching $17,100 and advancing to the bonus round.

After selecting the question “What are you doing right now?” In this category, Russo introduced his mother, Diane, and his aunt, Carol, and was asked by host Ryan Seacrest to spin the prize wheel “big.” Russo delivered such a powerful spin that the wheel kept turning and Seacrest was left speechless.

“A very good spin!” said the host awkwardly as the wheel finally slowed down after what seemed like an eternity.

Russo turned to the puzzle board and studied the hidden sentence before selecting the letters “H, G, C and I” to go with his already given letters “R, S, T, L, N and E”. ”

This left him with a three-word riddle that read: “_ _ _ ING / TH _ NGS / H _ _ _ E N.”

It didn’t take long for Russo to figure it out. As soon as the ten-second timer started, he shouted, “Making Things Happen!”

“You absolutely are,” Seacrest replied before opening the prize envelope and revealing that Russo had won an additional $40,000. This earned the New York native a grand total of $57,100 – as he exclaimed throughout the show, that’s “big money!”

Fans took to social media to praise Russo’s playing, with one YouTube commenter writing, “He definitely made the whole thing a lot of fun!”

“Well done, Thomas! You definitely made things happen!” said another.

“Cash Money Moolah, no matter how you say it, you just won $40,000!!!!! Congratulations Thomas!” another added.

Another wrote: “Thomas was an absolute beast tonight. I didn’t have to think long about his choice of letters or the puzzle. He got it right from the start. Congratulations, Thomas! Enjoy the extra money!”

“Thomas made the Christmas festivities possible with $40,000! Merry Christmas!!!” said one fan.

What did you think of Russo’s big win? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.