a.k.a. Mana la Fantuna, Maria Maines

Porn Star Maria Tortuga was one of the first women who could rightfully be called by that title. She made a name for herself at the very outset of the porn industry's rise, appearing in some of the seminal features of her era. With her good looks and her tight, small-breasted little figure, Maria Tortuga was an instantly recognizable member of the early hardcore scene who always seemed to have a great time when on camera.

Maria Tortuga first found her way into the skin biz in the early 70s. Back in those pre-video days, hardcore performers usually worked in loops, short film clips that featured a single sex act per reel. Maria Tortuga cranked out a few of these, but it wasn't until the late 70s that she made anything like a name for herself in the business.

Beginning in 1978, Maria Tortuga appeared in some of the hottest, most popular sex films of her time. In flicks like 'Frat House,' 'Weekend Lovers' and 'Carnal Encounters of the Barest Kind,' she showed herself to be a tenacious sexual performer whose seemingly demure good looks hid the heart of a true exhibitionist.

Maria Tortuga worked on and off in the porn scene until 1986. Among her best features was the classic 1982 feature 'Never So Deep,' where she and Paul Thomas hooked up in one of the flick's best moments. 1981's 'Let Me Tell Ya Bout White Chicks' was another career highlight, as Maria Tortuga joined Jack Baker and Pat Manning for a fervid threeway tussle.

Maria Tortuga left the industry behind in 1986, having sexed her way through over eighty white-hot features. Although she's been all but forgotten today, Maria Tortuga was one of the most alluring and sexually exciting women on the early porn scene, and deserves to be recognized as such. Today's porn starlets have nothing on Maria Tortuga.