RHAP: We Know Survivor - Survivor 48 Pre-Game Day 5: Cedrek McFadden & Justin Pioppi

Episode Date: February 5, 2025

Survivor 48 Pre-Game Day 5: Cedrek McFadden & Justin Pioppi Join Mike Bloom (@AMikeBloomType) to learn a bit about the 18 new castaways of Survivor 48 to be tested on the islands of Fiji. Today, Mike talks with Cedrek McFadden & Justin Pioppi. Survivor 48 premieres Wednesday, February 26th at 8pmET/5pmPT with a jam-packed two […]

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Gambling problem? For free assistance, call the ConX Ontario Health Line at 1-866-531-2600. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. Hi everybody, and welcome to RHAP Survivor 48 Preseason Interviews. It's Day 4, Day 5 actually if you count what Rob and I did the previous day, which is breaking down our thoughts on all the interviews I did with the members of the Laghi tribe, but now it's time to move on to tribe two It is Vula our Green tribe here and as always I will be bringing you the full interviews of getting to sit down and talk with these castaways days before they played

the game out on the beaches of Fiji. So please do not miss a second of all of this great stuff we have prepared for your eyes and ears. You can subscribe to our podcast feed at we know survivor.com as well as Rob has a website com slash YouTube to check out the video versions of these interviews that I've been doing, including with the previous six people I was talking about on Loggy. But let's move ahead to Vula, shall we? And let's start with our first contestant here, Cedric McFadden.

Cedric is 46 years old. He's the oldest man competing this season on survivor 48 originally from Columbia, South Carolina, but currently living in Greenville, South Carolina. And he is a surgeon. And in our interview, Cedric gets into how his path to get into his medical career had a little bit of survivor thrown into the mix and how it has led him through this journey, the large intestine, if you will, to get to him being on this beach today.

We've got plenty to get into. Let's not fall behind and check out my interview with the colorectal surgeon himself, Cedric. I'm Cedric McFadden. I am 46 years old and I am a colorectal surgeon. Interesting. How did you end up getting into that? So that's something you've,

it's a very particular body part. It's very necessary. Oh, of course. Yeah, so I- Everybody poops, I've read the book. You have to. So my initial professional aspirations obviously were to go into medicine.

And it wasn't until I got into medical school that I started realizing that there was a particular colorectal surgeon that I really just enjoyed being in the operating room with. He had a certain panache, everyone liked him, and he was just sort of a great guy and the types of procedures he did really attracted me. And so that became sort of that cadence that I then engaged the rest of my choices. And ultimately the colorectal surgeons seemingly in my book were the happiest docs.

They were very laid back, but they also did just phenomenal work taking care of colon cancers. And so I thought, you know, I want to be like these people and it just kind of fit. Yeah. So then do you work at a hospital, at a clinic? I do. So I work as a hospital employee. I have a professional ship as well at the university,

the school of medicine. And so I do a little bit of both. I do some teaching of the residents with a fellowship, but I spend a lot of time taking care of my own private patients. I mean, I also imagine, listen, you're not like boots on the ground ER, but like I imagine the hospital setting is still,

something that's fairly intense. It can be, because you take care of patients who come through your door that you prepare for surgery, but you also see patients that come in through the emergency room who need emergency procedures. And so that keeps the adrenaline going as well. Plus every case is unique, different, and everyone has their own sort of deliverables

that they bring. So then let's talk about that peak of adrenaline. Let's talk about the fricking Everest of adrenaline that is bring. So then let's talk about, you know, that peak of adrenaline. Let's talk about the fricking Everest of adrenaline that is Survivor. Yeah, absolutely. What brought you out here from the O-R to S-U-R-V-I-V-O-R? So when I was just starting medical school, that was in 2000, Survivor just started.

And so the first episode I think I saw, I just moved to Philly from med school and Sue Hawk was giving that speech. And it was like, I was watching like, what is this? And it was so outside of anything I'd ever seen. It was certainly outside of my normal day to day life. And so when I saw that particular finale, you know, that was obviously the end June, by the time it rose back around in the fall, I was like, I gotta find out the show and kind of connect with it. And it really became therapy, you know, every Thursday nights when survivor used to come on, it was eight to nine on Thursday nights on CBS. It was like the break in the day. I mean, med school was tough. Yeah.

And it was that one hour that I gave myself space to say, put down the books, just enjoy the show, get immersed in it. And it was a really great way to de-stress and help me get through the med school process. And it's just continued throughout the years, but that was the initial nitus of my interest in Survivor. Yeah, so then what made you decide to come out and play,

to be one of those people that everyone can decompress with? Right, so I mean, I think what I initially saw when you watch a show, anybody's watch show, you sit and say, would I do that? Would I say that? How would I respond? Could I do that particular challenge? And after years and years of doing that,

and also with the understanding that as you get older, you're like, you know what, if I ever want to see if I could, I should probably try and I'm here. There you go. So looking through your survivor history, if you could pick one winner and one non-winner who you identify with the most strategically, personally, who would that be and why? So I've said their names throughout this entire process, but it's really true, Earl Cole. Mm, the original King of Fiji. You know, he's definitely a force

and had a certain quiet confidence that was persuasive, but also subtle, but also distinct and precise. And it just, the way he, which he played that game was I think integral. It was an amazing thing to see. And on the other end, you hear this name often, Cerise Philz. Non-winner, but I mean, she is definitely the winner

in my book and I've just grace and social cues and the nuance of understanding individual and there's what they need in that moment. Just that listening ear, that smile, just that you don't have to talk, just listening and just taking it in, but also using it in a way that propels your place in the game. What's your favorite moment in Survivor history?

Is it involving any of the two you just mentioned? Well, I just immediately thought of when I think it was Eric, she sort of influenced him to give me the necklace. Give it to me. Get it out. You feel bad for the guy, but I mean it's like that's just the power of of just having that genuine connection that I hope to have in this game, but just to be able to say, give me this, okay, now goodbye. That was just amazing. What would you say is one life experience that has prepared you the most for this?

Obviously you've been through med school, you're in these very high risk situations, are any of those translating to the gamers or something else? Well, I think going through a five-year general surgical residency, the hours are long. The work is literally life or death. Yeah.

You are dealing with patients who come in after having a gunshot and having to make split-second decisions that can really impact their lives. And unfortunately, we were able to help so many of these people, but there are times when you don't. And so delivering news to patients' families about outcomes that may not have been obviously anyone's preference. And those moments, that's when it really gets real. And it's not anything, obviously, that I'll be dealing with survivor,

but just the ability to relay bad news or to make that connection with someone. I mean, hopefully that's gonna translate in somewhere. Yeah, so has that kind of like honed in your own impulses in a manner of speaking, your decision making to like know when to make a gut decision? Or obviously you have so much medical knowledge running through your brain that are you making

more head decisions when it comes to those split second things? Well I think the preparation that you do along the way, along the journey, it gets you ready for that moment. So by the time you come to a decision, you've been prepared, you've seen everything that you're gonna face. And even if you haven't seen exactly, you've seen something similar that's going to help you. So I walk into any space, into any

operating room, even into this game, knowing that anything that I face in life, I've been prepared for it. I've had a conversation with someone, I've had an interaction with an individual that's gotten me ready for the moment that I'm facing right now. Well, let's talk about what's gotten you to this moment because once you find out that you're playing, talk to me about your prep experience because suffice to say, I would imagine your schedule is a little packed.

So how did you put survivor prep into all that? Well, a lot of it's been things that I've done along the way. I mean, I'm not a, I don't think I'll be a physical beast or challenged beast, but I've always maintained fitness, you know, I've make sure I run and make sure I'd stay active. And so that part didn't bother me as much, even though I wish I could have obviously done more challenge prep.

But I took up more time with swimming. That's something that I had not done a lot of. So I spent more time with the coach and just basic things, tie knots under the water, retrieving a weight from the bottom, things like that to increase that ability. I've always done puzzles. I mean, I've done jigsaw puzzles throughout my life. And so I did a few extra jigsaw puzzles, bought a few maybe survivor-related puzzles.

And then the sort of social prep, that's every day for me. So, and not to come across cocky, I think when you- Hey, this is the place to be cocky. Well, listen, when you stay ready, you don't have to get ready. And so, this is my life. And there are aspects of this game

that I've probably never prepared for that I probably wish I could have done more challenge specific puzzles specific things like that But you know the reality of this is survivors my life Yeah Well on that note when it comes to bringing stuff from your life into this game Give me your biggest superpower and your biggest piece of kryptonite in your opinion Yeah, so I think my biggest superpower is probably just the ability to talk to almost anyone about anything and to create a connection. That's not

something that I think I was innately born with. I have great examples in my family. My grandmother was amazing at that. My mother, my brother, my wife, great people that can just have a conversation from ground up. And that is important in this game. And I'm really, I know that's a strength. I don't shy away from conversation. I think one of my kryptonites will be, you know, I'm in a position where I make decisions. And unfortunately have a team and we collaborate and we often make decisions together.

But a game like Survivor, I don't think you want to make too many of those decisions or at least not appear to make too many of those decisions. You really want to leap from the rear, leap from behind. You're an expert on the rear. And I mean that's reality, right? Yeah. You want to be able to be that leader without announcing I am the leader and having that perhaps negative attention drawn to you. Yeah, well then on that note, talk to me about how you think you might be perceived

because yeah, you're in this natural leadership position. Do you feel like people are gonna see you as that initially? In general, how do you think people will look at you? Well, I can be understated. And so that's another strategy is to be a little bit more unassuming and really start ground level and just build that relationship.

I don't intend to shy away from my profession in some ways that will be a strength in some ways that could be considered a weakness because in one aspect I come along with the skill set and people tend to think in most cases you know physicians or people trust you know we are because we we take that very seriously. And under any circumstance, no circumstance do I want to confuse the two. I mean, I want my patients to always know their front, but this is a game. And so I want to use that skillset of building trust

and to create that connection. But on the other side, it can be used as strategy, because by the end of the game and you could sit next to me and I know we've gone back and forth with how we think of our winners, right? Is it somebody who deserves it, somebody who needs it more, who's played the game more? But the argument could be made, listen, if you're sitting next to me, chances are you're in a really good position to take this game. And so let's run it.

So speaking of your job, what was the story you fed them about why you're gone for upwards of a month? Yeah, well, it's an interesting time right now in my house. So to have a 17 year old that just graduated from high school. Oh, congratulations. And thank you. And so he is, he's actually, the day I left,

actually the day after I left, he started a summer program, he's actually, the day I left, actually the day after I left, he started a summer program, he got out of school. So it's been a lot of transition in our household. So part of my explanation's been, I'm just taking some personal time. And so with all the things happening, all the things being some of survivor,

but with all the things happening, I just need some personal time. I gotta ask you even more about your occupation. You wrote in your bio, you're a TV medical contributor. Yes. Talk to me about this. Are you just standing on the side being like, they probably wouldn't do that.

Well, so I do a lot of talking about, obviously colorectal cancer, I do a lot of men's health discussions, conversations on the news, really breaking down medical jargon for just the viewer. I spend a couple of days a week on the local CBS affiliate and then I spend some time on the national circuit on one of the big TV programs on a different network.

And so I spend regular time discussing whatever's happening in the news. We spent some time this past year talking about King Charles's diagnosis or we talk about colorectal cancer awareness and other men's health issues and kind of whatever's happening but the real job there is to break down medical information if I have a moment here. One of the things that I grew up, my grandmother had a lot of illnesses growing up. And so I spent a lot of time with her and taking her to the doctor.

And I remember her leaving doctor's appointments, not really understanding what they talked to her about. So she'd walk out and I'd say, she wouldn't really understand what they told her. And she had limited understanding at times. And in in many ways when I'm talking on television, I feel like I'm talking to my grandmother. I'm talking to people who get to the doctor, didn't understand or people who would never go

to the doctor at all and maybe the one thing they'll remember is hearing me say, get your colonoscopy at 45. And so I think it's a valuable role to help people outside of my everyday practice. Let's talk about some of your competition. Cause I'm sure you've been sitting here, watching, assessing.

I've been looking around. So then let's start on the positive side of that look. Describe to me some people that, from your perspective right now, you're getting good vibes. Look, best case scenario, you hit the beach day one, this is like a perspective ride or die. I mean, listen, first of all,

there's not one person here that I'm like, I can't work with. I'm looking at all these people, I'm like, oh, I can definitely do this. We can definitely break a connection. There are several. There's a, there is a taller blonde female that I think was at one of my final casting auditions

Interesting That we kind of rode a shuttle together and I remember her from that and so even in this week I pick up good vibes Good good energy there. There is a younger black gentleman that I pick up good vibes and connections that we could work together. There is a muscular white gentleman that has dark hair, that is always smiling. I'm like, definitely, I think we can work together. But I mean, just in general, there's been a good vibe that I've gotten for most and even people that have been very withdrawn and intense, there's a younger Asian female that I'm just interested to kind of peel back and create a conversation

and to see where the opportunities are. So, I mean, I think the possibilities are potentially endless here. Yeah. I know you said you're not closing the door on anybody, but is there, is there anybody that you're getting not even bad vibes from that you can't read? Are they doing anything in Ponderosa that you're like, that's interesting, we'll file that away for later. No, there's one or two people that I've not even had a smile from. There's one gentleman that, and he's doing his thing that you know even just throughout

the week not even like had a smile or nod and I don't understand him. I don't know him. What does he look like? He's probably a dark, fairly dark complexion, dark hair, thin guy, problem is mid-30s, late-30s, but we just haven't made a connection yet. And so that's an opportunity. In my world, I don't see problems, I see opportunities.

Well, let's talk about other opportunities that might come your way in this game, because the DNA of the new era, it's really littered with idols, advantages, journeys. How much do you plan on incorporating that into your game? You know, I'm going to take it as it comes. OK, I'm going to take it as it comes. I mean, I think that, you know, idols, obviously we take those and God forbid we'll play those this year and maybe hold them and not share them with the world.

OK, until it's necessary and use them very strategically. Advantages come with risk and as I've reminded myself in my own conversations with myself, I said, self, don't play this game safe. And so if you have an advantage, play it or, you know, explore it, see what you can get with that. Yeah. So on that note, obviously about the train of non-idle plays, I feel like 45, 46 took the new era in like a definitive step. I'm sure as you were looking ahead to playing to this, you've been watching these seasons with kind of one eye

of takeaways to incorporate into your own game. What are some of those takeaways for you? Well, you have to be careful because you, you know, when you're watching at home, you have the benefit of hearing all sides of the story. You have the understanding of what you, the player, doesn't see. And so when you're living at real time, it's a very different experience, right?

You're making decisions often on what people are telling you or what you're seeing, but not on what's happening behind you. And so I don't judge too harshly because people make decisions based on what they know. And I believe that if I have an idol, my goal is every day here, not to plan necessarily for 10 days from now, but to plan to be here tomorrow. And so if I have an idol in my pocket, is there a way that I can use it? Even at this current challenge or this current tribal to benefit me? If I know someone is going home and I want to keep them here,

might I just play it for them? Even if I'm clear that my name is not in the mix, you know? And so there's a lot of things that you can consider doing with it that gets you further in the game, especially if you are certain that someone is on the outs and you're like, I need this person here, without saying anybody at the time, without telling anybody, present at tribal.

And so there are things you can do on a day to day basis that may not mean keeping a pocket, or an idol in your pocket, because at the end of the day, I want to be here tomorrow, and then the next day, and then the next day. You talk about not judging things too harshly but I'm going to put that ball on your court. Yes. What's your hottest survivor take? What's your most controversial opinion about a player, a season, the show in general? Yeah so just coming off last season, I mean 46. Yes.

Obviously that was a remarkable season on many fronts. And there was a lot of conversation about we and Charlie and the whole thing. And I really believe that Charlie was robbed. But I think that it was maybe a position that he opened the door for. So, are you robbed because you unlock your front door and leave it open for somebody to walk in

or you're robbed because they actually break in your door. That's a really interesting way to put it. Yeah, I've never heard it like that before. But I still believe he was robbed. That he was the latter. I believe he was robbed because I mean, I think given sort of the conversation he had going into this, you know, what Maria would do for him, et cetera,

and it didn't work out that way. But as Jeff always says, this is a game where you have to trust someone, but you can't trust any of these people. Yeah. And so how much do you open that door for someone to rob you versus how much do you kind of keep it shut and try to protect yourself? If you could bring a celebrity or a fictional character

out as a loved one for a loved one's visit, who are you picking and why? Celebrity or a fictional character? The only rule is it can't be your family. Okay. So I think that, you know, I'm a big fan of, and I've read a bunch of books about social aspects. And if I could bring Oprah Winfrey out to the island,

I don't know what she'd do, she probably would say no, but just sort of that social ability to have her kind of read the room, especially if she could kind of correspond with me on what can happen, that'd be just an amazing partnership to have in this game. Well, when in doubt, she could also give away some cars to people. You know, maybe give away more than a million dollars,

but I think that her ability to just also connect with people and to have a conversation with people and have them express their hopes and their dreams and their concerns and find some resolution or some resolve I think could be very insightful in this game. Last thing I want to ask is that obviously Survivor 50 in the back of everyone's heads we know it's a returning season. How are you going to make your mark on Survivor 48 so that we're going to be having a conversation a year later for 50? I am me.

I have no expectation to be anyone else in this game other than myself. And when you are authentically yourself, you bring something that no one else can bring. A cello should not try to sound like a violin. It would sound horrible. But being a cello, it adds to that richness of the sound. And so I'm going to bring that sound that only I can bring to the orchestra and that I can bring to that game and that will be unique enough to want Perhaps be replicated. Well, it was great saying. Hello to you Goodbye as well There you go. My interview with Cedric McFadden and I apologize to Cedric and Everybody out there in the moment and

also preemptively for the number of butt puns I'm going to make over the course of this season. I am so sorry it is low-hanging fruit. It's time to move on to our next interview but first we're gonna take a quick break. When we come back we'll get into my interview with the next member of the Vula tribe, Justin. Hot, fresh, and out of the oven is my interview with the next member of the Survivor 48 cast. I am talking, of course, about Justin P. Opie. Justin is 29 years old. I believe he's actually the youngest male in the cast of Survivor 48. Currently resides in his hometown of Winthrop, Massachusetts, and he is the manager of his family pizzeria, Luigi's. But the delivery route to get him to the pizzeria was not exactly from A to B.

It was more complicated than that. And actually Justin has a very rich background as we'll get into with our interview. I won't keep tossing around your expectations like pizza dough. Let's roll into my interview with Justin. Your name, age and occupation? Justin Piope, 29 years old and I am the manager of our family restaurant, Luigi's Pizza. Luigi's Pizza. I mean, I would say you can't go more Italian but obviously Mario is there. Mario's there. How long has the restaurant been around for? Over 40 years Mike. My parents have had it continuously and they've owned and operated it ever since. Wow. Okay so how did this happen? Was this, were you always the heir to Luigi's

throne in a manner of speaking? No. Or did this come up in other circumstances? Actually that wasn't the initial plan. I went to school, went to college, graduated in a manner speaking or did it just come up in other circumstances? Actually, that wasn't the initial plan. I went to school, went to college, graduated with a really great degree from a great institution. And right when I was coming out, the pandemic hit and my mother got really sick with leukemia. Oh, I'm so sorry.

So she's doing much better now, thankfully. Oh, amazing, amazing. Yes, all good reports, which is awesome. But I had to step up when I needed to and I haven't looked back since. You had to talk about that process of stepping up because I mean, obviously it's an environment you're familiar with, but I don't know managerial skills

or something you were familiar with. The only thing that we kind of know about restaurant management is like, when you have a complaint, you ask to speak with the manager and that's about it. It's been a little bit on the job training, but I've been very fortunate. My family have always been involved with the restaurant.

My aunts work the front. My buddies do delivery. We've had guys in the kitchen who have literally seen me grow up all through elementary school, grade school, high school, and now college. So we had a really, really tight-knit group, and I always wanted to be a part of that. But initially it was just me helping out on a Friday night, or just running food or taking order on the phone. And now it's like I'm doing the inventory,

I'm helping with marketing, I'm doing the social media websites. So it's a little bit of a jump, but it's been something that I really enjoy doing. All right, so then what brought you out of the heat from the kitchen of a pizza oven into the heat of Fiji? What made you decide that Survivor was gonna be

the next thing to add to your resume? This was always something I wanted to do. Okay. Ever since we saw the first episode, my mother and I, and I saw a bunch of guys running around naked on the beach catching rats, and I was like, I don't know what the hell that is, but it looks really, really cool.

And to be fair, a lot of Americans are probably feeling that way. Yes. Survivor for sure. So I just said, if I have the chance to grow out there, I really wanna do it. And it's something I've waited to do for a very long time. I only wanted to apply once.

And I said to myself, if this is the right fit, they'll come to me. I think that goes the same, you know, in my opinion anyway, I don't harp on anybody who keeps trying and applying. I think that you should keep doing that. But for me, it's like, you know, with schools, with jobs, with even like with Dayton, you know, if you put yourself out there and the other person is reciprocate then, you know It probably wasn't the right match for you interesting. So then was there a specific thing that happened in your life? They made you feel like now was the time because it's sort of like yeah

You have a crossbow with like one bolt bolted in right? So it's like you got to take that shot when you can in a perfect time Definitely and I had a few applications ready Mike to answer with you my finger was hovering over that button for many years and every time Jeff comes on and he's like If you want to be out here and you want to compete and you want to go on Survivor? There's that link below and my dad would always give me the nudge and I'm just like, you know dad knows not the time I'll let you know when But you know when my mother really got sick and you know, she finally got better

I was like listen, she's been working her whole life and kind of in a way playing Survivor So I wanted to come out here and compete on for her basically So she has something to watch and then hopefully in the end I'm holding that million dollar check and I want to retire So you've been watching all the way since the beginning and yeah, have you kept up throughout everything? I've kept up through everything to ask you So then if I were to ask you about a winner and a non-winner who you identify with the most personally, strategically, who would those people be? Okay, um, that's a great question. I would say...

Can I give you two winners as well? Okay. I want to say Tyson for one. You got the air for it. That's part of it to be honest with you. But he has like this really unique mixture of like athleticism and wit and humor and just kind of like the ability to talk with people. But he's also very very serious too. Like when something needs to get done he will get it done. And I think I kind of have that same mixture.

You know hopefully I can emulate his success on the show. I mean he's done pretty well for himself. Yeah. But I don't want to like you know step in on each holes of any legends. Another one which is... It's fine. Their time is done. It's your time now.

But I'm a big fan. I've always been a big fan of his. And then the other one I would say, this might be controversial, but I have always loved Fabio. And I just think like- Fabio! I mean, listen, back to the hair again.

I think, I have to give him credit because it's not easy to have this out here. I'm telling you Mike, the wind is his initiative. I had a ton of sand in it yesterday. But I really liked his game. I think he played a really underrated game. People don't really give him a lot of credit for it. But I think kind of like that attitude of like laying low

and being cool and just like being goofy and talking to people. I do the same thing at Luigi's. I want people to come in and feel comfortable. And then, you know, at the end you have more going on. You know, there's a lot more under here than just a ton of hair. I love that.

What's your favorite moment in Survivor history? Is it connected back to those guys you were speaking about? That's one of them. I mean, there's just so many good memories to pick from. And even just on the show, but even off the show, Mike, we had so many watch parties in college. We've had watch parties almost every Wednesday night, to be honest with you.

There's some nights where I'd be working, and I'm like, listen, Jack, can I change the shift here? Because I got to get home. So we'll have our Luigi's Pizza, and we'll watch it as a family. I think that's like kinda my favorite memory, even though it's every week. But it's like a recurring aspect where like, you know, as a family, we know we can sit down

for an hour and a half and just like, forget about the world, like, let's tune in to see what Jeff does this week. I realized we actually didn't get your non-winner. So do you have, I'm gonna touch upon that. Who's the non-winner that you identify with? That's a good one. See, I don't wanna go on the hair trend,

but I liked Malcolm too. I mean, listen, like, breeds like. A lot of hair in there. Is this a look you've always had? No, I actually haven't. And during the pandemic, you couldn't get a haircut and mass. Yeah. They shut all the barber shops down and all the salons.

So my barber who I am totally dedicated to, I told him I would never cheat on him, Regina, I mean, I'll shut him out, he's fantastic. But he's from the DR and he went back there with his family throughout the pandemic. So I didn't see him for the longest time. So we'd catch up, we'd chat, I'm like, Gino, you home?

I really need a haircut. It's getting kind of long. And then he's like, no, I'm not home yet. I'll let you know when. And then like months and months went by, and when he finally came back he saw me He goes don't cut that hair that looks so nice So ever since then I just kind of had it. I mean, that's a loyal a loyal barber Yeah, like no you don't use my exactly. I don't like money. I still made him a pizza Mike to be honest

I think he was he was open like that sort of that's like medieval time. Yeah bartering services So what is it about Malcolm besides the follicles? I just think he played very honest, which is a very tough thing to do out here. Obviously we haven't been able to talk to anybody yet. We're just kind of like feeling each other out and you get like a look or two when you head it to the bathroom or at bed at night. But I think the way that he was able to carry himself through a very, very long time, and then he played a few weeks later

when he was on Caramell. And I think that was kinda like something that he was able to keep up for so long. And that's something that I wanna try and emulate. You wrote in your bio that you were the youngest legislative aide hired at the Massachusetts State House. I was.

So yeah, talk to me about this. Does this connect with sort of the path you were gonna be on before you found your way back into the pizza place? It was. And honestly, Mike, when I finished high school, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. disconnect with sort of the path you were going to be on before you found your way back into the pizza place? It was. And honestly, like when I finished high school, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. And I had a lot of friends who changed majors halfway through the college experience.

And you know, they love going to school, but it was, you know, you add in two or three years sometimes if you change from English to biology or like a hard science or another humanities major or something like that. So I wanted to make sure I knew what I wanted to do. So I sent out some applications, I heard back from the state house for an internship and I was there for nine months. There was a void, another person in the office,

he left to go to another state agency. So my boss looked at me and he goes, listen, you kinda had on the job training already, so let's just, let's take you on. And yeah, I didn't look back from that either, it was a great job. So is that something you're, I mean, listen, the politics of all that, I'm sure it back from that either. That was a great job. So is that something you're, I mean,

listen, the politics of all that, I'm sure, it's something that might play into this. But if there's one life experience that you feel has prepared you most for the game, what would that be? It would, honestly, you know, beside the State House and going to Yale and everything I've had in my life, Mike,

it had to be Luigi's, I'm telling you. Because that's the one place where, no matter what, we get all walks of life, from all different countries all over the world literally every interest you can imagine and they just Converge on the love of Italian food and it makes me so happy because I get to serve it to them and with a smile So yeah, so when it comes to your prep for this experience because I imagine you're someone who's you know got their their schedule book I try Like you said this was something that you only applied

once for, but it's something that was always in the back of your head. What was that experience like? How much prep did you put in to come out here? I put a ton of prep in my, I feel like I'm still doing prep in my head, even though I don't have my phone, I don't have email, you know, this is the longest I've gone

without going down there and checking in. It's like, you know, my puppy, because it's like, if you leave it too long, something happens, if you don't give it enough attention, something happens and that's how you have to run your business. But I laminated everything. I told my father, listen, this is the bread, number four order in the bread,

this is number four order in the cheese, beer and wine come on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You gotta do this, this, this. And he's been great about it. He's told me, listen, go and enjoy yourself. Have no inhibitions about this store. It'll be here, I can assure you it'll be here when you come back but what's the story for does everyone at the place know what you're doing or is there some sort of

cover story they don't know and I well I pretty sure my my parents know obviously my aunt knows and then one of my really good friends knows because he's been living with us so he knows but other than that it's it's been totally a shock to I'm sure everybody, to be honest with you. Is it just I'm going on a vacation for a month? No, I just said, you know, there's like a job training opportunity. I have had a lot of friends who have tried to get me to move different places from school

and they all have really, really, really good jobs and they'll kind of give me flak, you know, they're like, you got a degree from Yale and you're making calzones instead of making money. And I'm like, to me me that means the exact same thing. It just, you know, it's a way of life and I see it benefit my parents and it benefits the people that we employ and my aunts and I feed a bunch of people.

So it's a great feeling. And listen, it's technically job training. The job is gonna be a millionaire. So it's 26 day training for it. I like that. From a survivor prep perspective, you know, have you been making fires, doing puzzles? What was the process before you got here?

I've done everything, everything possible. And you know, if the health department would let me light the oven with a flint and steel mic, I would have done that too. You know what I'm saying? I mean, that'd be an interesting way to make pizza. Yes. I think it'd take a little while, but.

In my audition video, I had a torch in the back. Yeah, we haven't used it forever, but I finally got it lit and I cooked a pizza on it. I was there for a long time with the peel and I just kind of maneuvered it and maneuvered it and it finally cooked. You know, it wasn't the best tasting pizza, but I made a pizza out of it. Okay, nice. Well, because I also know you wrote in your bio a bit how like surprisingly physical your

job is as well. So it's not necessarily that you need to like hit the gym to get in shape. I mean, you're lugging these supplies around all day every day That's kind of doubled as my gym we also do Mike and I haven't had a gym membership in my whole life You know, I would work out at school or when I was on the swim team in high school I would work out there, but other than that, I never really had a gym membership. That was my own So but I'm lugging oil around I'm lugging big vats of sauce, you know Some of those what is people are hungry.

They take 30 or 40 pizzas and I gotta put them, you know, one on this shoulder and the other one on this one, and I'm walking like this. So it's been good physical training, you know, the heat of the oven, the heat of the kitchen, that fryer is hot. I've been burnt many times by it,

but I think it all kinda plays into coming out here and preparing. Yeah, just when you wait for the sweat challenge, where it's like carry these jars of sauce from one side of the beach to the other. I'll get that with no problem. Sauce, olive oil, give me any of that stuff. When it comes to what you bring from your life into the game,

what would you say is your biggest superpower and your biggest piece of kryptonite? I would say the superpower is my ability to just connect with people. And I've always had that. I've been very blessed to have that ability. And I have a lot of really good people in my life who I've met throughout the years and we've stayed in touch no matter what.

So I think that's my best ability. Kryptonite is, I don't know, I guess I haven't been this long without pizza Mike. So I think we'll see how that kind of shapes up. I mean, I know you've been told this as well, but you know, Fagin Pizza especially compared to someone that's in-house with it all, the roof is maybe a little bit lower. Everyone's telling me that, but I well, but you know, for GM Pizza, especially compared to someone that's in-house with it all, the roof is maybe a little bit lower.

Everyone's telling me that, but I'm saying, after 26 days, I think anything's gonna taste really good. Any pour in the storm, absolutely. 100%. Let's talk about some of your competition, because I'm sure you've been sitting here, making eyes or assessing what people are doing. Let's start with the positive side of things.

Describe some people to me that, best case scenario, you're hitting the beach with them on day one, this is a person you could see as your ride or die. Definitely. There's a younger girl with, she's probably around my age, honestly, but she has a lot of hair like me, and she seems very, very, very friendly.

I've gotten a good read off her. I feel like, as much as a read I could have gotten without talking. An older gentleman with glasses, he just seems like a gentleman every time we pass each other, give him the little nod and just kinda keep going. There's a younger girl too who's like, she'll wear some hockey stuff around.

I'm a huge Bruins fan. That's my love team, even though they don't love me the same as much as I love them. Listen, you are wealthy in Boston, so it's okay. Yeah, I have to say, but they have to pick it up. I'm telling you. It's a rabid fan base. I'm hungry for another championship.

But she's had a Providence Bruin shirt on. So I gave her not anything to jeopardize myself or her to get us kicked out. But it was just kind of like, I see. Stuff like that. What's the main tenet you value in an alliance member? I think it's just somebody who can bounce ideas off of Mike, because I think you're out here a lot

with your own thoughts and you kind of get in your head and you might overplay something when you don't need to. And I think just to have somebody who can kind of just go back and forth with, and you know, as long as you're on the same page, that's the biggest part. So then let's move over to the other side of things. Is there anybody that you're not picking up good vibe for,

you're having a tough time reading? There's a lot of big people out here, and I mean big in terms of muscular and strong, and it was very, very apparent. So that's a little scary to see, but I do think that that's a disadvantage for them, in a sense. If someone looks at them,

they're like, obviously this person's a threat. He or she's gonna win every single physical challenge. So I think that that's a disadvantage for them in a sense. If someone looks at them, they're like, obviously this person's a threat. He or she's gonna win every single physical challenge. So I think that kinda plays into it. For me, it'll hopefully help me along the way. And there's another guy too with a beard. And he just seems like an interesting dude. I really wanna get to know him, but I have to watch out for him.

He seems like he's here to play. I mean, on that note, how do you think you'll be perceived? I mean, again, you are someone that is kind of the face behind the scenes of an entire restaurant. Is that something that you think might carry over into the game and you'll be viewed as someone like that on the beach? I think so, I really do.

And I, you know, listen, Mike, I don't act like a Yale grad, I don't talk like a Yale grad, I don't look like a Yale grad, but I am a Yale grad. I think that like that training and the studying that I've done, the people that I've met, that's all up here. But it's covered by a lot of hair, it's covered by a hat, it's covered by a lot of pizza, a lot of calzones, a lot of delicious Italian food that we've been serving up.

So I think that that's a good way to kind of contain everything. But on the outside, I'm me, I can't hide who I am. You know, I love talking about food. I love talking to people. I love making them happy. I love smiling. Are you going to be one of those people leading the like, what do you miss most back at home? Oh, I miss chocolate sundaes.

I feel like that can kinda like play against you too. I can talk about food for hours, Mike. Like if you wanna have another conversation after this about like, you know, the science of an oven or like how we do our cutlets, like we can go back and forth, believe me. Any recipes you need, you have my number and my contact, you can give me a call.

But you know, I think around here, you know, there are no cowlets, there is no pizza, you know, there's coconuts, there's fruit, there's a ton of fish, but you know, you're not going to the supply store, you're not getting them delivered like we do at Luigi's, you know, you're kind of up there hunting for them yourself. And you know, I wanna make sure, you know, we'll have our food conversations,

but I think I'll kind of keep those under wraps. Idols' advantages, journeys are, if you will, big ingredients in the new era. Yes. How much are you putting them into your own personal recipe? Oh, there's a heavy dosage. Like, I would say more than a handful, to be honest with you. We got a couple scoops in there.

And I just think on the heels of, you know, the 46, I just see, like, people were complacent, I think, or maybe just, you know, they thought that they were okay in the game. And I think if you have something, people are going to play this this season, if you ask me. And my mother told me before you go out there, you have an idol, I don't care even if you negate no votes, go out there and play that thing because I don't want to see you come home with one in your pocket.

Yeah. So on that note, it feels to me like season 45, 46 took the new era in a definitive step forward as sure I'm your watch. You're watching and probably having one eye on the season and one eye on, OK, I'm actually going to be playing. Do you have any takeaways from the past couple of seasons that you plan to incorporate into your game? I do and I don't. And I would lean with the don'ts, Mike, just because I feel like 45 was so like It just seemed like an older season where it was like you had a majority of lines and they kind of moved each other through

The game, you know You have obviously some people were picked off here and there depending on who won immunity and then you had 46 Which is just like a whole cluster F and which you know, you got to have that Difference because that's what makes good survivors. So, you know, obviously I haven't seen how 47 has played out. You know, I'm looking forward to seeing that when I get home. But it'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

I think we have a really, really good cast. What is your hottest Survivor take? What is your most controversial opinion about the show, a player, a season, as hot as a pizza oven? My friends are gonna kill me for this because they hate this. But you know, we're gonna crank the oven up to like 900 right now. I think like Redemption Island, not the season, I think the twist is a really good idea.

And I know you're a purist Mike, you know, I'm a purist too, but I think this game has so many curve balls, knuckle balls, sliders, change ups, you know, screw balls, any pitch you can think of that you got to make sure you hit every single one. And if you miss on one, you're gone. So I think that second chance ability to win yourself back in, I don't think that's the worst idea. My friends are always like,

once you're out, you're out, that's it. You're done with Survivor, you have to wait. Maybe you might get another shot, you might not. And that's just how it goes. Are you trying to manifest right now, like, Jeff, can you give me that second hit? Can you give me that strike two? I just feel like everyone deserves a second chance I think that you know

I've been through a lot in my life my brothers you had her fair share of second chances with health and we're very very grateful for it She's had awesome medical care And I think do you know if you deserve one if you work hard enough? I think you should get a second chance at something if you could bring a celebrity or a fictional character out as a loved one, who would it be and why? It has to be a celebrity? Yeah, the only rule is it can't be your family. OK.

I want to say Brady because I love Tom Brady. He's given us a lot of entertainment over the 20 years. Yeah, I think I would go Brady Mike. And just because his diet is so strict, and I think out here too, we're going to have a really strict diet no matter what. I feel like he can give us some pointers like, hey, there's that papaya over there. Let's cut it this way and let's mix it with this and let's try and do a fruit bowl.

He won't deflate any papayas for you? No, we don't touch that. Please. It's been a lot of rough years with our Patriots. That's true, that's true actually. I mean, that'd be, of course, you know, he has also those leadership skills as well, that ability to just make those split second decisions.

And he just has a focus that no other, that I've seen as an athlete, or, you know, I haven't met the man obviously, but, you know, he has a lot of fans back home. And I think that that's a great asset in the game. You know, when you turn it on, like we do it at the Luigi's, and you just have to snap a finger,

and you just get right to work. Last thing I want to ask is you talk about second chances and how important they are to you. We know 50 is on the horizon. We know it's going to be returnees. How are you going to make your mark on season 48 so that we're going to be having a conversation a year from now on the island?

I want to run this game the same way I run the restaurant mic. And I want people to feel comfortable coming to me. I want to show my manager skills like time and time again. And this is kind of the ultimate test for all that. The life experience that I've had, the schooling that I've had, the crazy customers at Luigi's that I've had to deal with, and all the great people that come in every single night

and feed their family. I think that's like the combination of so many years of hard work and experience and what I bring to the table just for this game. And hopefully I'm in it till the end, know and if not you know I might see you next year too. Yeah listen I'm sad to eat I'm sure you won't be quite literally but I'm sure you're gonna be serving up something awesome on the 26th day. Absolutely we got a couple mysteries ready to come out of the oven. And there you have it my interview with Justin somebody

whose skill set he hopes won't get him lost in the sauce and that his stock will only rise like a dough in the oven to pop out a million dollar pie. Well that's just a slice of what we have going on on the Vula Tribe as of course I'll be back tomorrow with two more interviews from the pre-game of Survivor 48. I'll be talking with Kevin and Mary. Again, don't miss a second of what we have going on. We know Survivor.com for our podcast versions and Rob has a website.com slash YouTube for our video versions. Of course, if you missed it, Rob and I gave our general thoughts on the Loggi tribe, as well as who we thought might work together

or against each other. We're gonna be doing that again for Vula once we get through all six interviews there. Right now, two down, two coming tomorrow as I'll be back in your feeds bright and early with my interviews with both Kevin and Mary. Thank you all as always for listening and all your support absolutely means the

world until tomorrow everybody take care. Bye bye.