ATLANTIC COUNTY, N.J. -- A Berks County grandfather and World War II veteran became a millionaire over the weekend thanks to some change he dropped at an Atlantic City casino.

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"All of a sudden, he said 'Oh my God,'" Thomas Riviello, who witnessed the win, said.

Riviello was there when 83-year-old Robert Schaeffer turned 60 nickels into more than $4.2 million at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City.

"He went like this, 'Holy jeez,'" Riviello said.

"After a while, well, bing bing bing. The eagles came up," Schaeffer said. "I couldn't believe it but that's what happened."

Schaeffer talked with NBC 10 by phone from his home in the Berks County community of Temple one day after he went to Atlantic City on a bus trip, bet the $3 max on a mega-bucks video slot machine and won the huge jackpot.

"Everybody was proud of me that I won all that money. I was like a celebrity for a couple minutes," Schaeffer said.

"I told him, 'Don't I know you?' He said, 'Nah, I don't think so,'" Charles Dierbach, who witnessed the win, said.

Not only did Schaeffer hit the big one, he also made history at Resorts, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary next month.

"It's the biggest jackpot we've ever played at this property and we've been paying jackpots longer than anybody else in Atlantic City," Resorts Senior Vice President of Operations Steve Callender said.

Schaeffer is a father of two, a grandfather and great-grandfather. But the retired steel worker said don't look for him to be taking any lavish trips or buying fancy cars.

"I'm not going to live it up. I'm going to try to help out my grandkids. Set it up for college for the kids," Schaeffer said.

The last few years have been tough for Schaeffer. He lost his wife, and then was diagnosed with cancer. But now he said his spirits are soaring, after dropping those nickels in Atlantic City.

"I'm pretty chipper. Called some of my friends this morning and they couldn't believe it," Schaeffer said.