Boston Rob Mariano

Rob ''Boston Rob'' Mariano

Rob “Boston Rob” Mariano
Age: 34
Seasons: ‘Marquesas’ (10th place); ‘All-Stars’ (2nd place)
Memorable moment: At the live ‘All-Stars’ reunion, Rob proposed to ally — and now wife — Amber Brkich.

Rob Mariano
Born December 25, 1975 (1975-12-25) (age 34)
Resides Canton, Massachusetts, USA
Tribe(s) Maraamu
Rotu
Soliantu
Chapera
Mogo Mogo
Chaboga Mogo

During Survivor: Marquesas, Rob Mariano fronted a highly successful opening alliance in his initial Maraamu tribe. A tribal swap in the fourth episode effectively denied him the control he enjoyed in his old tribe, as he was switched to the “new” Rotu tribe in which he was outnumbered by former Rotu members 5-3. Ultimately he was the first person voted out of the game when the tribes merged in the seventh episode. His original Maraamu tribe was outnumbered by members of the original Rotu tribe 7-3. Since the Rotu tribe thought that Mariano caused too much drama in camp, he was the first Maraamu tribe member targeted. Prior to his elimination, he provided information to Kathy Vavrick-O’Brien about possible betrayal by former members of Rotu who were not switched during the tribal switch. This may have later impacted Kathy’s decision (along with the decisions of Paschal English and Neleh Dennis) to turn on their former tribemates, ultimately impacting the winner of the game.[citation needed]
[edit] Survivor: All-Stars

During Survivor: All-Stars, Mariano developed an early alliance which eventually developed into a romantic relationship with fellow contestant Amber Brkich. He was able to form a dominant long-term alliance with Rupert Boneham and Jenna Lewis, taking them all the way to the final four. Mariano had dominated this season with the physical challenges and strategic moves. In the Survivor: All-Stars reunion, Jeff Probst called Survivor: All-Stars “Rob’s Season”.

In the season’s premiere episode, Mariano and Brkich agreed to form an alliance, with Rob citing his reasoning as: “She’s beautiful; any idiot can see that.” The group faced its first Tribal Council in the fourth episode. Mariano and Brkich’s relationship was a matter of discussion at the Tribal Council; Brkich claimed that she had come come to play Survivor, not “The Dating Game”. In the next episode, due to a twist that “absorbed” one of the three tribes, Jenna Lewis and Rupert Boneham joined the Chapera tribe. Rob and Amber quickly fortified a long-term alliance with the tribe’s two new members, one of many of the pair’s “agreements”. The Chapera tribe then enjoyed a lengthy winning streak, winning immunity the next three times. The group did lose one member, however, when Sue Hawk opted to leave due to an unpleasant encounter with Richard Hatch.

In the season’s ninth episode, a tribal shuffle managed to merely make each contestant switch buffs, with the exception of Amber Brkich, who remained on the Chapera tribe with Lex van den Berghe, Shii Ann Huang, Jerri Manthey, and Vavrick-O’Brien. The tribe went on to lose the next challenge and, in one of the season’s more infamous moments, Mariano told Lex van den Berghe, “If you take care of her, I’ll take care of you.” In perhaps an ironic twist of fate, it came down to Amber and her former Outback ally Jerri at that night’s Tribal Council. Van den Berghe was true to his word and Brkich was spared, while Jerri Manthey was eliminated.

In the following episode, the merge occurred, and Mariano voted to eliminate van den Berghe, despite having promised to “take care of him” in return for sparing Amber at the previous Tribal Council. In the episodes following, Mariano and Brkich managed to maintain several “alliances,” including their agreement with Rupert Boneham and Jenna Lewis, an agreement with Tom Buchanan, and an agreement with Alicia Calaway. With all these castaways believing themselves to be safe, Mariano and Brkich proceeded through the game, eventually finding themselves in the final four with Lewis and Boneham.

In the final four, Brkich won her first individual Immunity challenge, and she and Mariano convinced Jenna Lewis to vote out Rupert Boneham, her “ally”, rather than forcing a tie. In the final three, Mariano won immunity and chose Brkich to continue with him to the final two. Facing the jury, the couple met much criticism for their aggressive and underhanded gameplay.[citation needed]

In the season finale several months later, the couple was still dating; Brkich was wearing a yellow “I Love Rob” shirt. Just before the votes were read, Mariano proposed to Brkich and she accepted. Moments later, it was revealed that, in a 4-3 decision, Amber Brkich was the Sole Survivor.