Rob Mariano

Robert Carlo "Rob" Mariano (commonly known as Boston Rob) is the Sole Survivor of. He originally competed on, and.

He is the series' first of two four-time contestants (the second being Rupert Boneham), regarded as one of the strongest, smartest and best contestants to ever compete. Rob is renowned for his leadership, strategic mindset and challenge prowess.

Profile
Robert Mariano was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. An avid sportsman, he attended Xaverian Brothers High School where he played on the varsity hockey team and helped their golf team win the state championship in 1991-92.

He has worked as foreman for a construction company while also serving as head coach for Boston University's Inline Hockey Team. In 2001, he coached the team to their first League Championship followed by their first National Tournament where they proceeded to defeat the two-time defending national champion Michigan State Spartans in overtime.

Mariano attended Boston University where he boxed and played rugby. In 1999, Mariano graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. He aspires to one day become a doctor. His hobbies include hockey, fishing and playing cards. In 2000, he woke up the day of the Boston Marathon and decided to run it as an unofficial entry with absolutely no training. He stopped along the way to eat burgers and drink beer. He ended up walking the last 13 miles of the race and finished in 6 hours and 20 minutes. He couldn't walk for three days afterwards.

Robert Mariano currently lives in Pensacola, Florida, with his wife Amber Brkich and three daughters, Lucia Rose, Carina Rose and Isabetta Rose. He has one brother, Mike, and one sister, Heather. He is known to be a fan of the Boston Red Sox.

Survivor: Marquesas
Mariano was initially lambasted for not doing much at Maraamu camp, despite his physique. But he made a strong alliance with Sarah Jones, Vecepia Towery and Sean Rector. When Maraamu suffered three consecutive Immunity Challenge losses, the pact targeted weak link Patricia Jackson first in Day 6, while eventually turning to Hunter Ellis, the tribe's de facto leader and perceived strongest member. After Ellis' elimination, Rob assumed the leadership position at Maraamu, but it was short-lived, when he was transferred (along with Rector and Towery) to Rotu after a Tribe Switch on Day 10.

Since the switch, the four-person alliance crumbled. After Jones' elimination (she was left at Maraamu, which lost yet again), the four original members of Rotu decided to gang up on the new members because they felt that Sean and Rob took their poor work ethic at their camp, while Vecepia was castigated as preachy and pretentious. After losing the Day 15 Immunity Challenge, the original Rotu members planned to vote Rob out first, but it was their fellow original member Gabriel Cade's apathetic approach toward the game that changed their minds. Rob was spared thanks to John's lobbying, and Cade was eliminated instead.

After Rotu's first Tribal Council, Rob confronted the original members to confirm if they had alliance. With nobody giving an impressive answer, Rob lashed out at them, but John halfheartedly stated that they would vote Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien, Paschal English and Neleh Dennis (fellow original Rotu members, but switched at Maraamu) first. Despite the tension, Mariano led Rotu to a comeback by winning the Day 18 Immunity Challenge.

In Day 19, Mariano volunteered to be Rotu's ambassador for the Merge summit, where he tried to turn Maraamu's ambassador, Kathy, against her former comrades by telling that Zoe Zanidakis (a perceived friend by Kathy) was plotting against her. When the tribes were officially merged, Rob tried to throw the Rotu Four alliance under the bus by initiating a conversation about the foursome wanting to get rid of Kathy. Despite his valiant efforts, Rob's scheming sent him packing in a 7-2-1 vote (with votes coming from the Rotu Four alliance, Neleh and Paschal, and Rob's ally Vecepia).

Survivor: All-Stars
"chapera"

- She's beautiful; any idiot can see that.

Boston Rob was one of the eighteen returning contestants in Survivor: All-Stars and was placed at the red Chapera tribe. In the beginning, Rob quickly made an alliance with tribemates Amber Brkich (which gradually turned into romance), Tom Buchanan, and Alicia Calaway. Rob led the Chapera tribe into a winning streak, winning four of the first six challenges, making Chapera the most dominant of the three competing tribes of the season.

After a twist that dissolved the rival Saboga tribe, Rob recruited the two new additions to his alliance, Rupert Boneham and Jenna Lewis. Any strategizing was put on hold for several days, as Chapera won the next three Immunity Challenges.

After a surprise tribe shuffle in Day 22, all Chapera members, minus Amber, who remained in the Chapera, were swapped to the Mogo Mogo tribe, to Rob's disappointment. With Amber's absence, Rob fortified the alliance with Tom and Alicia. After winning the next Immunity Challenge, Rob sensed Amber was in trouble, so he proposed a deal with Lex van den Berghe, a friend of Rob's outside Survivor to spare Amber, in exchange for his safety. After much deliberation, Lex, along with the remaining former Mogo Mogo members, disposed one of the own, Jerri Manthey.

When the tribes merged in Day 26, Lex approached Rob if their deal was still in effect. Much to the former's chagrin, Rob had reneged on his promise, sending him home. The former Chapera members then eliminated the former Mogo Mogo, Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien, Rob's fellow cast member. With the last Mogo Mogo, Shii Ann Huang immune, the Chapera alliance were forced to turn on each other. But after promising not to write her name down earlier, Rob swerved Chapera's votes to Alicia's direction, eliminating her. Shii Ann failed to win the next Immunity Challenge, and soon followed.

On Day 35, Rob won the next Reward Challenge, winning himself a car and a drive-in film viewing experience. He chose Amber to join him, only to find out Amber would receive a car as well. Returning back to camp, Rob was suspicious that Tom and Rupert plotted against him and Amber during their absence, and as a solution, he pitted the two against one another. After winning the next Immunity Challenge, Tom was torn between two duos, Rob and Amber and Rupert and Jenna. Rob and Amber assured Tom they were on his side, and they would vote out Jenna together. But much to Tom's surprise, he was blindsided by an unanimous vote, but not before leaving Tribal Council and giving Rob a piercing stare.

On Day 37, anticipating a tie vote between himself and Amber and Rupert and Jenna, Rob lobbied Jenna to eliminate Rupert, stating he was a threat to collect more Jury votes. Threatened by the possibility of pulling out rocks, Jenna sided with Rob and Amber, sending Rupert home. After winning the final Immunity Challenge, Rob chose Amber to join him at the final two, sending Jenna to the Jury.

On Day 39, Rob and Amber enjoyed romantic moments. At the Final Tribal Council, Rob was blasted by several Jury members for his numerous deception. Ultimately, Rob lost the title of Sole Survivor to Amber after a 4-3 vote. Just before the votes were read at the Reunion, Rob proposed to Amber, to which she said yes.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
"villains"

- If these people are smart, they'll get rid of me right away! But they won't. They never do.

Assigned to the Villains Tribe following his All-Stars appearance, Rob quickly became the de facto leader and helped his tribe achieve success, building fire without the aid of a flint by making a fire saw, and won the first Immunity Challenge for the Villains, thanks to his superb puzzle-solving skills.

The next day, Rob was infuriated by his tribe's poor work ethic, Rob walked to the woods, and collapsed later. Tribemate Jerri Manthey found him unconscious in the jungle, prompting the Survivor medical team to intervene. When the medics found nothing to worry about, they cleared him to continue competing. Rob then led the Villains to another victory, winning them their second straight challenge. Despite his strong work ethic and popularity within the tribe, he gained an enemy in newcomer Russell Hantz.

Rob then formed the majority alliance on the Villains of 6, that was up against Russell Hantz's alliance of himself, Parvati Shallow, and Danielle DiLorenzo.

At the Day 15 double tribal council, Rob won individual immunity. His alliance planned to split the votes 3-3 against Hantz and Shallow, and if someone played the idol then the votes won't count, and then a re-vote would occur and his alliance would vote out the non-idol player. However, Hantz persuaded Tyson Apostol to switch his vote to Parvati, and Russell played his idol on her, thus eliminating Tyson, Rob's closest ally.

Despite still having the numbers in the tribe, Rob's alliance began to crumble. When Jerri Manthey switched sides to Russell's alliance and Coach Wade insisting on voting off the tribe's weakest link Courtney, Rob was voted out 4-3-1.

At the Reunion, the feud between Russell and Rob was mentioned and would later be settled a year later in.

Survivor: Redemption Island
Unlike his archnemesis Russell Hantz, Rob was warmly received by his tribe. It didn't take him long to be accepted into an alliance, which consisted of Andrea Boehlke, Matt Elrod, Grant Mattos, Natalie Tenerelli, and Ashley Underwood. His first target was Kristina Kell, who was looking for the Hidden Immunity Idol. But later they decided to vote out Francesca Hogi when Ometepe lost the first immunity challenge. At that tribal council, Rob saw an opportunity to manipulate Phillip, who was a loose cannon. When Ometepe lost the second immunity challenge, Rob made a deal with Phillip that he would protect Phillip and welcome him into the Ometepe Alliance if he followed the plan and acted as if he was getting voted out, but he told him that it wasn't Phillip going home. Rob and the Ometepe Alliance then blindsided Matt, a member of their own alliance. They did this because they feared Andrea and Matt would develop into a power couple, very much like Rob and Amber did in Survivor: All-Stars. After Ometepe won the third challenge, they then voted out Kristina, but split the vote with Phillip, just in case she had the Idol. Rob then found his own Idol when he lied that he had bowel problems and went to look for it. Ometepe then won all of the immunity challenges left until the merge. When Matt re-entered the game as a result of Redemption Island, he decided to keep with Rob, who again voted Matt off. The Ometepe Alliance then started their Pagoning of the Zapatera Tribe, voting off Mike, David, Julie, Ralph, and Steve. After Steve was voted out, there was nowhere left to hide, and the Ometepe Alliance was forced to turn on themselves. Rob continued to be in control, and convinced everybody to vote off Andrea instead of Phillip, who he conspired to take to the final three with because of his unpopularity with the jury members. When Ashley won the Immunity Challenge, Rob was forced to eliminate his good friend in the game, Grant. Andrea then came back into the game via Redemption Island, and was then voted off again by Rob and his minions of Phillip, Natalie, and Ashley, who was starting to open her eyes to Rob's gameplay. Rob had destroyed all other clues or evidence to other immunity idols in the game. Rob then won immunity from the second to last tribal council, and thus won a spot in the final three. Rob then decided to take Phillip and Natalie to the final three with him. He believed he could win against them because Phillip is disliked by the jury especially by the Zapatera members, and because Natalie had done nothing in the game and around camp, and had just been one of his minions. Ashley, realizing that she was going to get voted off, tried to convince Natalie to vote for Phillip, forcing a tie, but Natalie stayed loyal to Rob, consequently voting off Ashley. At the final tribal council, Rob delivered his argument to why he should be the Sole Survivor, which was much more developed than Phillip's or Natalie's, which were both very weak. Rob then won an easy victory, mastering his strategy and finally becoming the Sole Survivor, losing Ralph's vote to Phillip, as Phillip said earlier that Ralph was Zapatera's hardest worker.

Post-Survivor
A week after All-Stars, Rob was nominated on Survivor: America's Tribal Council in the Sexiest Male category, but lost to Colby Donaldson.

Rob cast along with wife Amber Mariano on The Amazing Race as an engaged couple on the show's seventh season, where they finished in second place. They returned as newlyweds in the Amazing Race All-Stars, where they dominated in the first three episodes, but only to be eliminated on the fourth, finishing eighth.

In 2007, Rob and Amber starred a TV show called Rob and Amber: Against the Odds, where they went to Las Vegas to Rob fund his dream of becoming a professional poker player.

Rob was a co-host on The History Channel TV series Around the World in 80 Ways, which first aired on October 1, 2011. Rob, along with professional monster truck driver Dennis Anderson, travel around the world using 80 various forms of transportation.

Rob was inducted into Xfinity's Survivor Hall of Fame in 2010.

At the reunion show, Rob announced the release of his book "The Boston Rob Rulebook", containing his strategies for Survivor and his life and presented the first copy to his former Redemption Island tribemate Phillip Sheppard. Rob stated that Phillip's constant reference of him partly inspired him to write the book.

In January 1, 2014, Rob announced that Amber is pregnant with their fourth child.

Trivia

 * Rob is the first four-time returning player
 * Mariano won a record number of individual Immunity Challenges - with 9 wins (4 on All-Stars, 1 in Heroes vs. Villains, and another 4 in Redemption Island.)
 * In his tenure as a contestant, Rob never served on the jury. He either got voted out just before the jury phase, or made it to the Final Tribal Council.
 * Rob's luxury item on Marquesas was an American football.
 * Mariano holds the record for most days on the American version of Survivor, with 117. However, the international record of 117 days on Survivor was broken by Robert "Robban" Andersson from the Swedish version of the series, with a new record of 124 days.
 * Boston Rob is one of five contestants to make the final twice. The others are: Russell Hantz, Parvati Shallow, Sandra Diaz-Twine, and Amanda Kimmel.
 * Rob never participated in a Survivor Auction.
 * Rob is one of eight castaways (the others being Shii Ann Huang, Bobby Jon Drinkard, Russell Swan, Michael Skupin, Francesca Hogi, Colton Cumbie, and Monica Culpepper) that returned for a second season despite not reaching the Jury stage on their original season.
 * Both women who had romantic bond with Rob on the show share the same birthdate, August 11.  Rob was known to have "Show-mance" with Sarah Jones in Marquesas.  Jones is one year elder than Amber Mariano who met Rob in All-Stars and is now his wife.