Reality TV happens to be my guilty pleasure. From The Real World to Dance Moms to those brawny boys on the Jersey Shore, I eat ‘em all up with gusto. So when my friend Dan Lembo made it on CBS’ Survivor Nicaragua, I was both slightly jealous (of the notion he was going on the show and his never-fading tan) and ridiculously excited for him. We recently reconnected in Bimini where I picked Dan’s brain every day for fun facts for you crazy kids. 
26 facts about Survivor Dan!
- I can cook a mean authentic meatball — it’s my mom’s recipe
- I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York
- I never tried out for Survivor, the producers approached me at a bar in Miami.
- I’ve been married twice — my first wife was a mafia princess. That didn’t work out so well…
- I had never even heard about the show, Survivor, until I was asked to be on it!
- I’m a car fanatic and own the vintage Lincoln as seen on Entourage and Tupac’s sparkly purple Hummer
- My two sons, Mike and Matt, are my world
- I live between South Hampton and New York City
- I love visiting Miami
- My favorite restaurant in Miami is Prime 112
- I’m currently dipping my toes in the Vegan lifestyle
- My drink of choice is a martini — no fruit, no vermouth
- While I do have a penchant for custom-made clothes, I like to buy beachwear at Wings
- I have an 8-inch scar running down my leg from knee surgery
- I used to own a dental lab where we used to make celebrity veneers
- I never put cheese on pasta dishes with seafood
- I’m allergic to shellfish — which happens to be my favorite food
- I love to workout and my fave after-workout drink is peanut butter, protein and bananas
- I’m addicted to sun and keep my tan fresh!
- After my stint on Survivor, I smelled like a campfire for 9 whole days
- I lost 37 pounds on Survivor…and gained 30 back.
- Cowboy boots are my go-to shoes
- I’m a country music buff and attended the CMAs every single year.
- My favorite musicians are Toby Keith and The Rat Pack
- My mug is painted on the wall of The Palms restaurant in New York
- I wear a diamond horseshoe ring every day
This is Frank Lovece, a writer for Newsday who wrote about Dan Lembo when he was on Survivor (see story below). We’re trying to locate him for a “where are they now” story, but his email address no longer works ([email protected]) and his voicemail is full (516-807-4894). Could you help us contact him? CBS and I have tried for days, and now I have to write the story today.
https://www.newsday.com/classifieds/real-estate/hamptons-real-estate-exec-to-be-on-cbs-survivor-1.2192349
Hamptons real estate exec to be on CBS’ ‘Survivor’
By Frank Lovece
Updated August 9, 2010 4:20 PM
Author
Hi Frank, Sadly, Mr. Lembo has been struggling with health issues but I will send him your email. Best, Maria
I was a friend of his in N.Y. Is he ok
Wordy Girl–
Thank you so much for trying. I’m only seeing this now — I thought there might be email notification of new comments, but I should have checked anyway. Thank you again. –Frank
He was a horrible boss!