A Wheel of Fortune player came within inches of an even bigger payday Friday night, but still managed to leave the stage tens of thousands richer after one of the most memorable games of the season. Joe Ferroni of Sarasota, Florida, squared off against Marianna Reid from Omaha, Nebraska, and Sharona Nafisi of Atlanta, Georgia, on the September 12 broadcast. Ferroni, a multi-talented musician known for playing both harmonica and guitar simultaneously, quickly emerged as the frontrunner.