A celebratory family meal at a popular Chicago steakhouse last year turned into a nightmare for a retired Illinois firefighter after he suffered permanent brain injuries from raw oysters. His family is now suing the restaurant and seeking damages of $50,000, plus costs.
Joe Belgio, a 44-year-old Cicero resident, had been a Marine and a firefighter before he became severely ill in July 2025. According to the complaint, which was filed on August 10, Belgio and his family were celebrating at Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse in Oak Brook on June 30, 2025, when he reportedly ate raw oysters that would upend everything.
Within several days, he became severely ill. His attorney, Scott O’Sullivan, told ABC affiliate WLS, “He ended up getting very, very ill, and resulting in cardiac arrests where he lost consciousness and oxygen for at least eight minutes and was revived by this very fire department and has been in the hospital ever since.”
Belgio’s family is now suing Gibsons and seafood distributor Supreme Lobster and Seafood Company. In the complaint, they claim doctors ran tests and found pathogens that are associated with shellfish contamination in Belgio’s system, including Enteropathogenic E. coli and Plesiomonas shigelloides. His physicians have said that his catastrophic health decline was caused by those oysters to a “reasonable degree of medical certainty.”
According to People, which viewed the complaint, Belgio is seeking damages of $50,000, plus costs.
Gibsons isn’t conceding the point. In a statement, its spokesperson said, “There have been no other reported cases of illness. Based on the facts and our internal investigation, there is no evidence to suggest that our establishment caused his health condition. We are confident that a fair and thorough legal process will agree with this conclusion.”
However, the damage is severe and permanent. “He is extremely brain damaged, with very little cognitive capacity, and will need care for the rest of his life,” O’Sullivan told WLS, adding that Belgio will likely remain bedridden.
Belgio’s fiancée, Melanie Stayer, described the cruelty of the incident: “This is a man who deployed. He ran into burning buildings, and you thought he was out of the line of fire, and really, he wasn’t.” She added, “He’s one of the rarest people you will ever meet in your life. He was a God-fearing man. Success to him was having a family.” Belgio and Stayer share a young daughter named Carmela.
“I want people to be aware that this could happen to anyone. This was a casual day with a casual man at a restaurant that he wanted to celebrate life with his family, and life can change so quickly,” she told WLS.
Meanwhile, friends, fellow fighters, and loved ones have launched a GoFundMe and the Joe Belgio Recovery Fund to help cover his long-term care.
Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently verify all facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public record.
