All castaways
Mark "Papa Bear" Caruso

Castaway

Mark "Papa Bear" Caruso

Mark "Papa Bear" Caruso

Competed on Survivor: South Pacific (2011), finishing 17th.

Seasons
1
The story

Mark "Papa Bear" Caruso was a retired NYPD detective on South Pacific's Savaii tribe — an older, openly gay competitor who came out to his tribemates during the season and brought a veteran's steadiness to the beach. Sensing his name coming up, he made a memorable last-ditch play.

Cornered, Papa Bear staged a fake idol hunt — pretending to dig one up to scare the tribe into keeping him — but the bluff didn't take, and Savaii voted him out in seventeenth. A warm, resourceful player who went down swinging.

By the torchlight

Career record

17th
best finish
9
days on the island

Where they finished

the bigger the blaze, the deeper the run

  1. 17thS23
  1. 23

    South Pacific

    17th

    2011 · Samoa · Savaii

    9 days

Read the votes

At Tribal Council

Pulled from the urn — every vote ever cast against Mark, and how often Mark read the night right.

6
votes against
2
Tribals sat at
1 / 2
read right
50% of the time
The tribe weighs in

Rate Mark's game

Tribe rating

Rate Mark

Your scores

7
7
7
The wider tribe

Played alongside Mark

Castaways Mark shared the island with — tap any face to cross over to their game.

23South Pacific2011+5 more from South Pacific
Around the fire

Common questions

Did Mark "Papa Bear" Caruso win Survivor?
No. Mark "Papa Bear" Caruso competed on Survivor but did not win. Competed on Survivor: South Pacific (2011), finishing 17th.
How many times has Mark "Papa Bear" Caruso played Survivor?
Mark "Papa Bear" Caruso has played 1 season of Survivor: Season 23 (South Pacific).
What is Mark "Papa Bear" Caruso's best finish on Survivor?
Mark "Papa Bear" Caruso's best finish is 17th on Survivor: South Pacific (Season 23).
How many days has Mark "Papa Bear" Caruso played Survivor?
Mark "Papa Bear" Caruso has spent 9 days on the island across 1 season.
How many times was Mark "Papa Bear" Caruso voted against at Tribal Council?
Across 2 Tribal Councils, 6 votes were cast against Mark "Papa Bear" Caruso.
What is Mark "Papa Bear" Caruso known for?
Competed on Survivor: South Pacific (2011), finishing 17th.

Around the fire

The tribe's debating Mark's game right now

“Cirie never needed an idol. She WAS the idol — read every vote a round early and bent the whole jungle to her will without a single immunity win. That's the cei…”
— MergeBeast · 64 🔥 and climbing

Cast your vote, drop a hot take, and climb your torch — every contribution is tied to your profile at Tribal Council.

Join the debate at Tribal