A Marine veteran and retired Illinois firefighter says contaminated oysters at an Oak Brook steakhouse led to cardiac arrest, coma and permanent brain damage.
A Marine Corps veteran and retired Illinois firefighter is at the center of an oyster lawsuit after a meal at Gibsons Steakhouse & Bar in Oak Brook allegedly left him with permanent brain damage. Joe Belgio, 44, was hospitalized for more than a year after eating raw oysters at the restaurant about 15 miles west of downtown Chicago on June 30, 2025.
According to the lawsuit obtained by ABC 7 Chicago, Belgio later went into cardiac arrest, fell into a months-long coma and suffered lasting brain injuries. His fiancée, Melanie Stayer, said the pair had been out with family to celebrate when he ate the oysters and then became seriously ill. She said the moment was especially painful because the couple had just welcomed their five-month-old daughter, Carmela.
Stayer described the outing as a normal family celebration that took a devastating turn. Belgio’s lawyer, Scott O’Sullivan, said he lost consciousness and oxygen for at least eight minutes before being revived by the Cicero Fire Department, the same department where he had previously worked. Afterward, he was rushed to the hospital, where doctors reportedly screened him for bacteria and found several pathogens in his system.
The lawsuit says Belgio contracted two bacteria from the oysters: Enteropathogenic E. coli, known as EPEC, and Plesiomonas shigelloides, according to CBS News. Since the incident, he has spent months in a coma and remains confined to a hospital bed, requiring constant care. O’Sullivan said Belgio is likely to remain bedridden for the rest of his life and has very little cognitive capacity.
“A Marine veteran and retired Illinois firefighter says contaminated oysters at an Oak Brook steakhouse led to cardiac arrest, coma and permanent brain damage.”
The case has drawn attention because of the gap between a routine night out and the scale of the damage that followed. Seafood can carry serious risks when it is contaminated, and raw oysters in particular have long been a point of caution for diners. This case now places those food-safety concerns inside a deeply personal family crisis, with a young child and a former first responder at the center of it.
Gibsons Steakhouse & Bar rejected the claim that it caused Belgio’s condition. In a statement to ABC 7 Chicago, a spokesperson said there had been no other reported illnesses and added that the restaurant’s internal review found no evidence tying the establishment to his health problems. The steakhouse said it was confident a fair legal process would support that conclusion.
Two seafood suppliers, Supreme Lobster and Seafood Company, have also been named in the lawsuit, according to ABC 7 Chicago. That widens the dispute beyond the restaurant itself and raises questions about the sourcing and handling of the oysters that Belgio ate that night.
A GoFundMe created to help cover care describes Belgio as a devoted father, Little League coach and lifelong servant to others. It says he completed a tour of duty in Iraq and has spent his life helping people in need. Since launching on July 8, 2025, the fundraiser has brought in more than $85,000, while CBS News reported that Belgio has already faced more than $1 million in medical bills. The case now matters far beyond one family, because it touches food safety, accountability and the cost of catastrophic injury for ordinary Americans.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Joe Belgio?
He is a 44-year-old Marine Corps veteran and retired Illinois firefighter who was hospitalized after eating oysters at a steakhouse in Oak Brook.
What does the lawsuit claim happened?
It says Belgio ate contaminated oysters on June 30, 2025, later suffered cardiac arrest, fell into a coma and was left with permanent brain damage.
How did the restaurant respond?
Gibsons Steakhouse & Bar said there have been no other reported illnesses and that its internal investigation found no evidence it caused his condition.
What bacteria are mentioned in the case?
The lawsuit says doctors found EPEC and Plesiomonas shigelloides in Belgio’s system after he became ill.
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