A family feud has broken out over the estate of Treasure Island Foods cofounder Christ Kamberos.

A daughter of Kamberos, Christi Kamberos Matthews of Wilmette, is suing her step-mother for allegedly scheming to reduce her inheritance, according to a lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court this week.

Kamberos Matthews claims the estate is worth “in excess of several million dollars,” but said in the suit she didn’t know exactly how much.

She claims her step-mother, Maria A. Kamberos, who now runs Treasure Island, engaged in a decades-long scheme to manipulate Christ Kamberos into eliminating her as one of the major beneficiaries of his estate.

Maria Kamberos did not return a call for comment. The law firm representing her, McDermott, Will & Emery, had not yet seen the complaint by late Thursday afternoon, said attorney Peggy Quinn. The lawyer for the plaintiff, Joseph R. Marconi of law firm Johnson & Bell, declined to comment.

Christ Kamberos and his brother opened the first Treasure Island store in 1963 on the North Side of Chicago. It has grown to seven grocery stores that specialize in foods from around the world.

Kamberos died in October at age 83.

The suit mentions several times that Maria, married to Kamberos since 1986 as his second wife, was more than 31 years younger. He was 60 and she was 29 when they wed.

The suit outlines a pattern of alleged actions by Maria to alienate Kamberos from his children. It claims Kamberos’ ailing health and “diminished mental capacity” allowed him to fall under the “undue influence, domination and control” of his spouse, who succeeded in “poisoning his mind and overcoming his will.”

“Maria prevented normal contact between Christ and the plaintiff as well as his other children, brother, sisters, grandchildren and other relatives,” the suit says. It said Christ Kamberos only saw his children and grandchildren on rare occasions. “Often times, Christ’s children could not visit their father or talk to him on the telephone unless Maria agreed in advance,” the suit alleges.

By Feb. 2, 1990, Maria succeeded, using “lies, deceitful conduct and wrongful persuasion,” in having Christ change his will, originally drafted in 1975, the suit says. The new will eliminated and reduced inheritance that was to go to his surviving children and instead placed it under Maria’s control, the suit alleges.

In the suit, Kamberos Matthews asked for compensation she believes will exceed $1 million, plus costs for the lawsuit, punitive damages, interest and attorney fees.