With the collaboration of her husband, she invented and created Topo Gigio , the famous puppet that has enjoyed considerable success both nationally and internationally.
It was a time of innovation in Italy, with television and animation cinema ; Maria Perego introduced a new technique unknown in the peninsula, using puppets instead of drawings, inspired by the Czech Jiří Trnka (who followed the Italian tradition of puppet theater ).
In the fifties he created several characters dedicated to young people. Before Topo Gigio, the most famous of them was Picchio Cannocchiale . For her creation Maria Perego was inspired by an already existing character, loved by children: Picchiarello . In the same way he invented Topo Gigio, but this time he took Mickey Mouse as a reference . Topo Gigio saw the light in 1959, and his fortune was due to some programs broadcast in prime time, with the voice of Peppino Mazzullo . The mouse attracted not only children (for its smallness and for its infantile nature), but also an adult public. At the end of the fifties Topo Gigio was a guest in programs with very high audience ratings. He also had an incredible success in selling plush toys. One of the many peculiarities of this character is the representation of reality as of fiction, because, despite being a fictional character, he also faces real problems, which are part of everyone's life, as intentionally desired by the creator. His fame then became international, appearing as a guest on television programs around the world, including the Ed Sullivan Show.
In 1974 Topo Gigio was even co-host of Canzonissima , flanked by Raffaella Carrà and Cochi and Renato : he duet with famous people (such as Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra ). Determined to defend her creative autonomy, Maria Perego built up a reputation as a woman and professional "of iron" over time, also because of her not always easy relations with Rai. 
Buona notte Maria. Grazie per il dono di Topo Gigio
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