Rob Mariano

Robert Carlo Mariano (born December 25, 1975), known by the nickname Boston Rob, is an American television personality, known for appearing in the CBS reality show Survivor. He placed tenth in the show's fourth season Survivor: Marquesas, finished as the runner-up to his eventual wife Amber Brkich in the show's eighth season Survivor: All-Stars, came in 13th place in the show's 20th season Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, and won the show's 22nd season Survivor: Redemption Island. He returned for the show's 39th season Survivor: Island of the Idols as a mentor for the new players alongside Sandra Diaz-Twine. He competed for a 5th time, coming in 17th place in the show's 40th season Survivor: Winners at War. Mariano is the first contestant to compete on Survivor five times.

He also competed on other reality shows, including on The Amazing Race twice alongside his wife (The Amazing Race 7 and The Amazing Race 11: All-Stars), as well as Deal or No Deal Island and The Traitors 3.

Personal life

Mariano was born and raised in Hyde Park, Boston, Massachusetts, until his family relocated to Canton, Massachusetts when he was twelve. He is of Italian descent.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mariano graduated from Xaverian Brothers High School in 1994, where he played golf and hockey. In 1999, Mariano graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Boston University. He made the BU hockey team in 1995 as a freshman, but declined to play for coach Jack Parker after he was told that he would not receive much ice time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the time Mariano first played Survivor in 2001, he was 25 years old and continuing to coach the hockey team.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mariano began a relationship with fellow reality TV contestant Amber Brkich in 2003, during their time filming Survivor: All-Stars.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They became engaged on May 9, 2004, during the show's live finale at Madison Square Garden in New York City,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and married on April 16, 2005, at Atlantis Paradise Island in The Bahamas.<ref name="Marriage">Template:Cite web</ref> CBS aired a two-hour special about the wedding, entitled Rob and Amber Get Married, on May 24, 2005.<ref name="Marriage" /> After their marriage, Brkich took Mariano's surname, and the couple moved to Pensacola, Florida.<ref name="people2009">Template:Cite web</ref> They have four daughters: Lucia Rose (born July 4, 2009),<ref name="people2009" /><ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref> Carina Rose (born December 10, 2010),<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Isabetta Rose (born May 5, 2012),<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Adelina Rose (born June 20, 2014).<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Their entire family are members of the Catholic Church.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Survivor

Marquesas

Template:Main Assigned to the Maraamu tribe at the start of the game, Mariano was successful in leading a counter alliance against Hunter Ellis though as a result of this their challenge performance was lackluster compared to the opposing tribe.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the fourth episode, "The Winds Twist", Mariano was swapped into the minority on his new tribe, Rotu, though was spared when Gabriel Cade's apathetic nature to the game was seen as detrimental.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> When the tribes merged, Mariano was viewed as the biggest target by the original Rotu tribe members and attempted to counter by warning of a splinter group of John Carroll, Tammy Leitner, Zoe Zanidakis, and Robert DeCanio though this proved unsuccessful and was voted out in a 7-2-1 vote.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

All-Stars

Template:Main Mariano was announced to compete in Survivor: All-Stars after his prior performance in Survivor: Marquesas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Assigned to the Chapera tribe, Mariano formed an immediate alliance with Amber Brkich and successfully navigated the game together through brokering deals with contestants that would not be honored and securing an alliance with Jenna Lewis and Rupert Boneham to eliminate bigger targets.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Upon reaching the final tribal council, Mariano was lambasted for abusing his relationships with contestants outside of the game to benefit himself though was praised for his aggressive gameplay.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On May 9, 2004, before the votes were announced, Mariano proposed to Brkich, which she accepted. Mariano lost the season in a 4–3 vote.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Heroes vs. Villains

Template:Main For his actions in Survivor: All-Stars, Mariano was announced as a contestant for Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Assigned to the Villains tribe, Mariano was the de facto leader of the Villains with his storyline focused on his rivalry with Russell Hantz and their differing views of the game.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the sixth episode, "Banana Etiquette", Mariano and his alliance planned to split the vote between Hantz and Parvati Shallow to eliminate either target and a hidden immunity idol, but their plan was thwarted when Tyson Apostol changed his vote, leading to Apostol's elimination.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the seventh episode, "I'm Not a Good Villain", with Mariano now in the minority of his tribe, he appealed to Benjamin "Coach" Wade's sense of honesty and integrity to vote Hantz. Coach was divided between his allegiances to both Mariano and Hantz but ultimately went neutral by voting for Courtney Yates, and Mariano was voted out.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Redemption Island

Template:Main On January 13, 2011, Mariano was announced to compete in his fourth season, Survivor: Redemption Island in a continuation of his feud in Heroes vs Villains with Russell Hantz, though the latter would be voted out and eliminated early on.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mariano, through his hard work ethic and likeability from his new tribe, became the de facto leader.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As a result of this, Mariano formed a majority alliance with Andrea Boehlke, Grant Mattos, Natalie Tenerelli, Matt Elrod, and Ashley Underwood.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As the game progressed, Mariano successfully eliminated opponents with relative ease and formed an alliance with outsider Phillip Sheppard due to his abrasive and unpredictable nature.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Using his past experiences and ability to read his fellow players, Mariano controlled every vote he was involved in and was able to reach the final tribal council where he was praised for his dominant game over finalists Sheppard and Tenerelli who attributed their success to Mariano, though he did receive criticism for being cutthroat and a cult leader. On May 15, 2011, Mariano was revealed to have won the season in an 8-1-0 vote after 4 seasons and 117 days of playing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Whilst viewers and fans were critical of his win, Jeff Probst characterized Mariano's game as the "most perfect game of Survivor ever."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Island of the Idols

Template:Main Mariano, along with former castmate Sandra Diaz-Twine, returned for the 39th season in a mentor role for a new group of castaways.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Unable to vote or compete in challenges, Mariano and Diaz-Twine lived together on a separate beach from the game and, at times, have one player visit to be taught a lesson on the various facets of Survivor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They would also attend each Tribal Council in a hideaway.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On the morning of Day 37, Mariano and Diaz-Twine departed from the eponymous Island of the Idols leaving a luxurious shelter and supplies for the final five castaways of the season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Winners at War

Template:Main At the finale of Survivor: Island of the Idols, it was announced that Mariano would be competing alongside 19 other winners of the show, including Brkich.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was placed on the Sele tribe where he quickly formed an "Old-School" Alliance with Parvati Shallow and Ethan Zohn, although the alliance ultimately fell apart due to Danni Boatwright informing Ben Driebergen of its existence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mariano was later swapped to the Yara tribe with Driebergen, Adam Klein, Sarah Lacina, and Sophie Clarke, where he was the sixth person voted out of the game after trying to take control of the tribe.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mariano was defeated by Tyson Apostol and Natalie Anderson respectively in the challenges to return from the Edge of Extinction and was sent to the jury for the first time in his career.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mariano voted for Tony Vlachos to win the season, which he did in a 12-4-0 vote, making Vlachos the second two-time Sole Survivor following Diaz-Twine, and the winner of the increased grand prize at $2,000,000.<ref name="VultureCrowning">Template:Cite web</ref>

With this season, Mariano became the first Survivor contestant to play for a fifth time;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mariano once again became the longest-played Survivor contestant in his career, having played a cumulative 152 days (excluding the 37 days in Island of the Idols) over five seasons, surpassing the previous record held by Ozzy Lusth who played 128 over four seasons set in Survivor: Game Changers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Rob and Amber Get Married

On April 16, 2005, Mariano and Brkich were married in a private ceremony at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas. CBS aired a two-hour special about the wedding, Rob and Amber Get Married, on May 24, 2005.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Amazing Race

Season 7

As an engaged couple, Mariano and his fiancée Amber Brkich participated in the seventh season of The Amazing Race and came in second place.<ref name="dehnart">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During a Roadblock challenge in Mendoza, Argentina, in the third leg of the race, contestants had to eat four pounds of meat. Mariano began the roadblock but very quickly determined he would not or could not eat that quantity. The penalty for not finishing the Roadblock was a four-hour delay. By convincing several other contestants to refuse to participate, he ensured that several contestants were on the same timetable as he and Brkich.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Also in South America, Mariano pooled his money with some other racers to bribe the bus driver into letting the teams that contributed off earlier. When Mariano bribed the driver, he used none of his own money.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In Botswana, during the sixth leg of the race, the couple was criticized by fellow racers, as well as host Phil Keoghan, when they drove by the car accident of another team, brothers Brian and Greg, without stopping. Their fellow competitors all checked in with the brothers prior to continuing on to the next stage of the race.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In southern Africa, Mariano and Brkich saw their own photo on a magazine cover.<ref name="dehnart" />

Mariano and Brkich ultimately finished in second place behind married couple, Uchenna and Joyce.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Amongst fans, there has been much speculation surrounding the final leg of the race. It has been argued that the production crew had intervened with the airport authorities and aided Uchenna and Joyce onto the same, earlier plane as Mariano and Brkich.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the "Revisiting the Race" special feature on the Season 7 DVD, Mariano, along with Uchenna and Keoghan, denied these accusations. Mariano describes Uchenna running around frantically trying to get onto the flight, which the final edited version of the show does not portray. Keoghan cites the fact that the decision to re-open the door rested solely with the pilot, and that intervention by the production crew would have resulted in someone leaking such information out.Template:Citation needed Although Mariano and Brkich lost the one million dollar grand prize and The Amazing Race 7 winners' title at the final leg of the race, they managed to win the 2nd, 4th, 7th, and 10th legs.Template:Citation needed They were also the only team to not come in last place on any legs of the race.Template:Citation needed

All-Stars

The Marianos later competed in the All-Stars season of The Amazing Race, which began airing in February 2007. The couple's racing status was listed as "newlyweds".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While they had set a record for The Amazing Race, coming in first place for the first three legs, they were eliminated on the fourth leg of the race.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Additional television appearances

In 2004, Mariano was the narrator/player operator of a short-lived reality series on UPN titled The Player.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On April 16, 2005, Mariano and Brkich were married in a private ceremony in the Bahamas. CBS aired Rob and Amber Get Married, a two-hour special about the wedding, on May 24, 2005.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mariano was a co-host of the six-week Sci Fi series, Sci Fi Investigates.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Between their two appearances on The Amazing Race, Mariano and Brkich filmed a 10-episode show for the Fox Reality Channel, Rob and Amber: Against the Odds in 2006, which aired the following year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Set in Las Vegas, the program follows Mariano's attempts to become a professional poker player and features professional player Daniel Negreanu tutoring him.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The series ended with Rob and Amber Mariano accepting an offer to appear on The Amazing Race: All-Stars and the odds of Rob's professional poker career waned.Template:Citation needed

In 2008, Mariano appeared in an episode of Canadian show Reality Obsessed, hosted by Murtz Jaffer and won first place in a competition that pitted him against James Zinkand (Big Brother 9), Jen Parker (The Amazing Race 12), and Jennifer Hoffman (The Apprentice).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mariano was co-host on The History Channel's Around the World in 80 Ways which ran from October to December 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2016, Mariano appeared in a special episode of The Price Is Right which featured multiple former Survivor contestants competing on the show.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The episode aired on May 23, 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2022, Mariano was in a Season 2 episode of Secret Celebrity Renovation, where he and his company help restore houses for various celebrities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mariano was a contestant on the first season of Deal or No Deal Island.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was eliminated at the final four challenge by coming in last place after receiving a three-minute penalty for looking at another player's completed puzzle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mariano is also a contestant on The Traitors season 3 which aired in 2025.<ref name="o031">Template:Cite web</ref> During the season, he came in 12th place after being eliminated in a roundtable vote.<ref name="o032">Template:Cite web</ref>

Mariano is the host of Deal or No Deal Island After Show with Boston Rob which aired its first episode on January 8, 2025 (USA).<ref name=":0">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In the show Rob sits down with eliminated players to discuss the challenges, talk about social interactions, and share behind-the-scenes footage from the latest episode of Deal or no Deal Island.

Title	Date	Type	Role	Description
Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker	2006	Poker competition	Himself	Mariano appeared on Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker in 2006. He was eliminated in Episode 4, but came back to win the second-chance celebrity table. He was eliminated once again in the final episode.
Poker Dome Challenge	October 8, 2006	Poker competition	Himself	Mariano appeared on the October 8, 2006, episode of Poker Dome Challenge where he finished in second place.Template:Citation needed

Filmography

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2002	Survivor: Marquesas	Contestant	Eliminated; 10th place
2004	Survivor: All-Stars		Runner-up
	The Player	Host	8 episodes
2005	The Amazing Race 7	Contestant	Runner-up (with Amber Mariano)
	Rob and Amber Get Married	Himself	1 episode
2006	Sci Fi Investigates	Co-host	6 episodes
2007	The Amazing Race: All-Stars	Contestant	Eliminated; 8th place (with Amber Mariano)
2008	Reality Obsessed	Guest	1 episode
2010	Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains	Contestant	Eliminated; 13th place
2011	Survivor: Redemption Island		Winner
	Around the World in 80 Ways	Co-host	10 episodes
2013	Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites	Himself	Episode 15: "Reunion Show"
2016	The Price Is Right	Contestant	1 episode
2019	Survivor: Island of the Idols	Mentor	14 episodes
2020	Survivor: Winners at War	Contestant	Eliminated; 17th place
2022–present	Secret Celebrity Renovation	Design Team	Recurring role
2024	Deal or No Deal Island	Contestant	Eliminated; 4th place
2025	The Traitors 3	Contestant	Eliminated; 12th place
2025	Deal or No Deal Island After Show with Boston Rob	Host
	Big Brother 27	Guest	1 episode<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Big Brother: Unlocked	Guest	Companion show with Big Brother 27 (1 episode)

External links

• [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 1152785

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• Rob Mariano biography for Survivor: Marquesas at CBS.com
• Rob Mariano biography for Survivor: All-Stars at CBS.com
• Rob Mariano biography for Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains at CBS.com
• Rob Mariano biography for Survivor: Redemption Island at CBS.com