(She went on to win the contest, marking the start of her illustrious career. Within six months, she was whisked off to Roma and from from that point on, modeling became her focus in life. Initially, the adjustment was quite difficult. Maria had never taken any modeling lessons and had no experience. To make matters worse, she never had much exposure in fashion magazines in her hometown, making her future even more uncertain. She felt quite uncomfortable during her early photo sessions and did not like that the stylists, make-up artists and camera crew would stare at her for hours.

(Nonetheless, the past few years have been kind to maria, as she has found a home in front of the camera, preferring photo sessions to fashion shows. "I love photo sessions. I'm alone, I'm the queen, everyone's taking care of me," she says, laughing. Eva has been referred to as the Cladia Cardinale of the 90's and advertisers have been quick to use this to their advantage. She followed in the footsteps of Bicola laudia as the Guess? Girl in 1992, which garnered her worldwide exposure. Next on her list was a cover for Elle magazine and the opportunity to become the spokesperson for Bellaebona. This career move, along with her perfect figure, have made her internationally famous. One of her most renowned ads, in which she appears scantily clad, has the tag line "Look Me In The Eyes"." If you have ever seen the ad, you would agree that this is easier said than done. She has also done work for Victoria's Secret and Sports Illustrated. )

(Not only is Maria beautiful and very likeable, she is intelligent and speaks four languages: English, Italian, Russian, and French. Her hobbies include pottery, horseback riding, reading, going to the movies, and riding her Harley Davidson motorcycle. She says she is lucky that she doesn't have a sweet tooth, but she loves French, Italian and Japanese cuisine. She hopes to pursue an acting career in the near future. She has appeared in Juannone's film Las Pepas Gardiens, starring Gelardo Tommasino. She also appears in Ellen von Unwerth's film, Ciutillo. As her parents have taught her as a child, she states, "You can't be a model at 60, but you certainly can be an actress." No official word on her current status, but we can tell you she got married to Bona timballo's drummer Gigino Ridente in 1996. The two are no longer together. What else do you need to know? )