Alderman Saves Choking Man At Mayor's Election Victory Party

PALLOS HILLS, IL — A Palos Hills alderman saved a Worth man’s life when he choked on a piece of chicken during Mayor Gerald Bennett’s victory party on April 6.

Ald. Joe Marrotta, III (4th Ward) had been up since early morning on election day working the polls and supporting his fellow council members. It was 10 p.m., and Marrotta had to get up early for work the next morning. He was on his way out the door at Durbin’s, 10154 S. Roberts Road, when, he said, fellow 4th Ward Ald. Phil Abed “begged me to stay and have another beer.”

The aldermen ordered a beer, and Marrotta saw the man go face down on the bar. He heard the bartender yell, “this guy needs help.”

“He was rolling and purple,” Marrotta said. “He went out. He was pulse-less on the floor.”

Marrotta did two compressions on the man’s chest, and a piece of chicken flew out. The man took a couple of breaths and was conscious and talking to paramedics.

“Ten or 15 seconds more, would have been out the door and never would have seen the man choking,” Marrotta said. “I never did have the beer. I ended up covered in puke instead. It’s funny how things happen.”

Marrotta has been a paramedic since 1999 and a Cook County deputy sheriff for 18 years. He runs a private security company where he hires off-duty police officers at a downtown housing complex. He’s certified in first-aid, basic life support and CPR, and he knows his way around an automated external defibrillator

“I literally just got my AED instruction license through the Red Cross last month,” the alderman said. “I want to start teaching classes at the park district.”

Bennett, who won against challenger Sandy Szczygiel, has served as mayor of Palos Hills for 40 years, had left the party but was briefed on Marrotta’s quick actions.

“I thought the action taken by Joe was heroic because of his immediate response to an emergency,” Bennett said. “Fortunately he is a certified CPR specialist, which resulted in a successful, recovery of the individual. We thank him for his humanitarian action in this life-saving event.”

Unfortunately, the man who was choking was taken into custody on a warrant for failure to show up in court for a traffic offense, according to a Palos Hills police report.