Maria Perego, Creator of Topo Gigio, Dies at 95

Maria Perego, the Italian artist who invented the iconic puppet Topo Gigio, died on November 7, 2019, at age 95. Born in Venice in 1923, she studied at the Accademia di Arte Drammatica and began working in puppet theater in Rome and Venice. In the 1950s, she joined the Rai studios in Milan, where she pioneered a new animation technique: puppets moved by black-clad animators behind a miniature stage, allowing greater expressiveness. Topo Gigio, inspired by Mickey Mouse, debuted in 1961 on the Carosello advertising program for Pavesini biscuits. The character's high-pitched voice (by Peppino Mazzullo) and catchphrase "strapazzami di coccole" won over both children and adults. Topo Gigio appeared in the film "Le avventure di Topo Gigio" (1961), co-hosted "Canzonissima" in 1974, and performed with Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra. Internationally, the puppet appeared on the BBC, ITV, and The Ed Sullivan Show, and enjoyed 35 years of collaboration with Japanese broadcasters. Perego received numerous honors: UNICEF ambassador (1997), the Charlot Prize for comedy, and the title of Commendatore from President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (2004). Her 2015 autobiography "Io e Topo Gigio" was published by Marsilio Editore. At the time of her death, she was working on a new Topo Gigio animated series for Rai Yoyo.