After being criticized by nearly every member of the nine-person final jury, Jersey City Police Officer Tony Vlachos was voted winner of the $1 million prize on the final episode of "Survivor Cagayan'' tonight.
?I wasn?t a villain, I was just making strategic moves to save myself,? said Vlachos during the airing of the two-hour final episode which began with the four remaining contestants who had survived out of the original 18.
Vlachos said that during the season ?I just used my common sense.? He said ?The $1 million is the reason I came on this show,? adding that it would help better the life of his family, which includes, his wife, one child and second to be born soon.
But Vlachos took a drubbing when the final jury members commented on his tactics, many calling him a backstabber and liar.
One juror said Vlachos swore to her on his father?s grave and then broke the promise and asked him ?Is it worth it for you to be here to play a game for a million dollars on your father?s soul and memory??
?Yes,? answered Vlachos without hesitating.
After learning of Vlachos' victory, Jersey City Council President Rolando Lavarro said ?I think it?s great. A Jersey City cop got it done. He got his street smarts from Jersey City and outplayed all of them.?
Asked about the criticism Vlachos received, the councilman said, ?It?s a game so it is all about the tactics. It happens every year on 'Survivor'. It is par for the course if you want to win. I congratulate him.?
In fact, Lavarro and Councilman Daniel Rivera intend to have the city honor Vlachos when he returns from Los Angeles.
?I want to have a resolution for him and a proclamation for him when he comes back,? said Rivera.?
The Jersey Journal had a front page story on Tuesday reporting on an incident in which Vlachos saved a neighbor?s life who suffered a massive heart attack. During the cast reunion show broadcast after the final episode, the NJ.com online version of the story was displayed on television.
In the "Survivor'' show, contestants are isolated in the wilderness and compete for cash and other prizes. The show uses a system of progressive elimination in which contestants vote off other tribe members until there is only the winner.
Vlachos, who works in the city?s North District, traveled to Los Angeles on Tuesday to watch tonight?s broadcast live and to learn his fate. His wife was unable to make the trip because she is 8-months pregnant.
