DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed melanoma

  • Stage III or IV disease

• Measurable disease defined as ≥ 1 lesion that can be accurately measured in ≥ 1 dimension as ≥ 20 mm with conventional techniques OR ≥ 10 mm with spiral CT scan

  • Tumor lesions in previously irradiated areas are not considered measurable disease

• Prior brain metastases allowed provided all of the following criteria are met:

  • No more than a total of 3 brain metastases
  • All metastases are no more than 2 cm
  • Surgically resected or have been treated with gamma-knife or stereotactic radiosurgery
  • More than 3 months since prior disease progression

  • More than 30 days since prior steroids for managing brain metastases

    • Concurrent steroids for other reasons allowed provided the dose is < that required for managing brain metastases

• Disease accessible for core needle biopsy, incisional biopsy, and/or surgical resection and meets one of the following criteria:

  • One large tumor deposit ≥ 5 cm³ from which biopsies can be harvested multiple times

  • Multiple deposits that can be biopsied or excised individually on different dates, measured as follows:

    • Two lesions ≥ 3 cm³
    • Three lesions ≥ 2 cm³

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-1
• Weight ≥ 110 pounds (without clothes)
• WBC ≥ 3,000 mm³
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Bilirubin normal
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• Creatinine normal OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
• Urine protein:creatinine ratio < 1.0 OR 24-hour urine protein < 1,000 mg
• Fasting cholesterol < 350 mg/dL (cholesterol medications are allowed)
• Fasting triglycerides < 400 mg/dL
• PT INR ≤ 1.5 (unless on full-dose anticoagulants)
• Hematocrit < 41% (for males) or < 38% (for females)

• None of the following within the past 4 weeks:

  • Uncontrolled intercurrent illness
  • Ongoing or active acute (CTCAE v.3 grade 3 or 4) infection
  • Abdominal fistula
  • Gastrointestinal perforation
  • Intra-abdominal abscess
  • Serious or nonhealing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
• No psychiatric illness or social situations that would preclude study compliance

• No clinically significant cardiovascular disease, including the following:

  • Cerebrovascular accident within the past 6 months
  • Transient ischemic attack within the past 6 months
  • Myocardial ischemia within the past 6 months
  • Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
  • Other thromboembolic event within the past 6 months
  • Unstable angina within the past 6 months
  • Uncontrolled hypertension (i.e., hypertension despite maximal therapy)
  • New York Heart Association class II-IV heart disease
  • Congestive heart failure
  • Serious cardiac arrhythmia requiring medication
  • Clinically significant peripheral vascular disease
  • History of stroke
  • Artificial valve, pacemaker, or similar device

• No uncontrolled diabetes

  • Hemoglobin A1c < 7%
• No significant traumatic injury within the past 28 days
• No history of allergic reactions to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to temsirolimus or bevacizumab
• No hypersensitivity to Chinese hamster ovary cell products or other recombinant human antibodies (e.g., infliximab)
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 6 months after completion of study treatment
• HIV negative
• Hepatitis C negative

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics

• More than 4 weeks since any of the following prior treatments and recovered:

  • Chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C)
  • Radiotherapy to nontarget lesions or lesions that are not to be biopsied
  • Immunotherapy
  • Cytokine therapy
  • Enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs (EIAEDs) or other CYP3A4 inducers
  • Investigational agents
• More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery or open biopsy and recovered
• No prior temsirolimus, rapamycin, bevacizumab, or systemic therapies targeted primarily to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF receptors, or to mTOR inhibition

• Concurrent full-dose anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin/low molecular weight heparin) with PT INR > 1.5 are allowed provided the following criteria are met:

  • In-range INR (usually between 2 and 3.5) on a stable dose of oral anticoagulant or on a stable dose of low molecular weight heparin

  • No active, clinically significant bleeding or pathological condition that carries a high risk of bleeding (e.g., tumor involving major vessels or known varices)

    • Minimal tumor bleeding of the skin allowed at the clinician's discretion

• No concurrent medications or substances known to affect or with the potential to affect the activity or pharmacokinetics of the following:

  • Temsirolimus
  • Bevacizumab
  • CYP450 isoenzymes
• No concurrent nonstudy-related surgical procedures
• No other concurrent anticancer agents or therapies