Maria Stinger, a ravishing and curvaceous 1950s pin-up model, bore a striking resemblance to the iconic Marilyn Monroe. Born out of wedlock in 1931 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, her father was an Anglo-Irish policeman. In 1948, Maria relocated to Miami, Florida, where she met her future husband, Harry Walter Stinger, in 1949 and married him the same year.
In 1953, Maria was introduced to renowned glamor photographer Bunny Yeager by fellow photographer Bill Hamilton. She holds the distinction of being the first model to pose for Yeager, with a photo taken by Yeager gracing the cover of the March 1954 issue of "Eye - People and Pictures." Maria went on to feature in pictorials for notable men's magazines, including "Caper," "Gala," "Glance," and "Rogue."
In October 1954, Maria was crowned Miami's Marilyn Monroe in a beauty contest sponsored by the local newspaper, "The Miami Herald." Around the same time, she participated in the Miss Florida beauty contest. Later that year, Maria posed for bondage-style pictures for the famous fetish photographer Irving Klaw.
In the 1960s, Maria appeared in several nudie cutie soft-core features. In 1964, she attempted suicide by overdosing on pills. Although she had three daughters with Harry Walter Stinger, Maria still divorced him in February 1965. She then relocated to Columbia, South Carolina.
Tragically, Maria Stinger took her own life at the age of 36 by overdosing on pills in November 1967.
