Throughout her career, Ajita Wilson spun various stories to friends and the European press in order to bury her past. However, digging deep into various records and archives, her story began in 1940s Michigan.
During the spring of 1943, 18-year old Florine Wilson from Mount Dora, Florida began a brief fling with Chester Cogman, a married 27- year old man from the nearby town of Sanford. Upon discovering her pregnancy, Florine was sent to live with her Aunt Mary Frances Shumpert in Flint, Michigan. On January 12th, 1944, Glenwood Cogman was born. Three months later, on April 8th, after returning home to Florida, Florine married 27-year old Jesse Scott, a relationship that produced five children. Young Glenwood was placed in the care of her grandparents Corine (née Coker) and Frank Wilson who resided at 1627 Grandview Street, a few blocks away from her mother and stepfather's home. Occasionally Glenwood accompanied his great-grandmother Susan Jones on trips to Flint. After divorcing Jesse Scott, Florine married James A. White in July 1956, producing four sons during this marriage before separating during the 1970s. From 1958-1960, Glenwood attended Mount Dora Academy and from 1960-1963, Eustis Vocational High School, where she was a member of the Drama club.
 |
| Eustis High School (1962) |
There's no record of Glenwood's life from 1964-1973, however at some point she left home and transitioned into Ajita Victoria Wilson.
 |
| Possibly Ajita w/ Crystal Labeija (February 1967) |
At some point in the 1960s, Ajita relocated to New York City, settling in Brooklyn as a female impersonator and sex worker. She was soon followed by her sisters, Scarlett and Forestine, who relocated to New York in 1968, before they eventually settled in Rochester. Throughout the years, she began hormone treatment and eventually got smaller cosmetic procedures such as breast augmentation and possibly liquid silicone injections.
 |
| Possibly Ajita in Paris (1970s) |
 |
| Model Comp Card (1975) |
By the mid-1970s, Ajita was discovered by the American fashion photographer, Bill King. After a few shoots at his studio located at 100 5th Avenue, Ajita was found herself booked overseas, working in London and Paris making appearances in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and various other magazines. The statuesque dark-skinned 5'11 model quickly became highly sought after.
 |
| Photo by Peo Armellino (1975) |
Early 1975, while contemplating enrollment at Cambridge University, she became acquainted with a Danish businessman who funded a trip to Copenhagen, where she underwent sexual reassignment surgery. After recovering from surgery, she resumed her modeling career.
Around June 1975, she was living in Hamburg, as she was listed in the German Address books as residing at 13 Grindelhof 45.
 |
| Photo by Peo Armellino (1975) |
By July 1975, Ajita had moved to Milan for a series of modeling gigs with photographers such as Peo Armellino and stylists such as Jean Gabrell di Warner under the Askew Girls International, the European branch of the Askew Modeling Agency. During the summer, she became acquainted with director Cesare Canevari who made her the principal actress in his upcoming exploitation film, “The Naked Princess”, loosely based on the life of Ugandan princess, Elizabeth of Tooro. Filming began in August at Milan's Hilton Hotel and wrapped up by the following month. Released February 1976, the film was a huge success and suddenly her modeling career was over as she began focusing on a more lucrative career in acting.
 |
| The Nude Princess (1975) |
The following year, she traveled to Paris and Athens to appear in two soft-core pornographic films, “Gola profonda nera” and “Mavri Afroditi”.
From 1976-1986, she appeared in 46 films of various genres. From soft-core, hard-core pornographic films to sexploitation and spaghetti westerns. As she only spoke English and broken Italian, her voice was dubbed in every film. Constantly booked, she made nearly 5-6 films a year. Her work as an actress took her all over Europe, as she frequently traveled to France, Spain, Austria, Greece and Cyprus.
 |
| Ajita with Fellini (November 1982) |
During the summer of 1978, she ran into famed Italian filmmaker, Federico Fellini in Rome's Piazza di Spagna. Fellini offered her a role in his upcoming fantasy comedy-drama film, “La città delle donne” (City of Women), unfortunately the production of the film was temporarily suspended and she took on other commitments. He stayed in contact and in 1982, Fellini approached her again to join the cast of “E la nave va” (And the Ship Sails On), but she could not because as she was busy filming, “Detenute violente”.
 |
| Rome's Club Jackie'O (July 1978) |
 |
| Ajita w/ Klaus Kinski (April 1980) |
As early as the late-1970s, rumors circulated around Italy that Ajita was a transsexual. Although she would confirm the rumor amongst her friends, she denied the allegations when speaking with reporters. Occasionally, directors would disclose her gender to her fellow co-stars during filming, however this doesn't seem to have affected her career.
 |
| JET Magazine (August 1981) |
 |
| La Stampa (June 1985) |
In 1985, after making five films in Greece, Ajita retired from her pornographic career at age 41. Settling in Rome, she began studying music and dance for her upcoming Italian tour as a singer, “The Ajita Wilson Show” with dancer Arturo Michisanti. She also became a popular fixture on the racy Saturday night television program, “Buonanotte Con Emanuelle”.
 |
| Turin - Discoteca Pontechino (March 1986) |
However by mid-1986, she changed careers again, working at a brothel in Florence before escaping through the streets stark naked after a police raid. Returning to Rome, she moved into an apartment on Via Giuseppe Palumbo near the Piazza dei Prati degli Strozzi with her latest boyfriend, Piergiorgio Graziosi. She also returned to the porn industry, making her final film appearance in Arduino Sacco's hard-core pornographic film, “Bocca bianca, bocca nera”.
 |
| The Orlando Sentinel Obituary (1987) |
On the morning of May 25th, 1987, after awakening to make coffee, 43-year old Ajita collapsed on the floor in pain. Her boyfriend rushed her to the hospital where she died of a cerebral stroke, likely caused from a recent car accident. She was cremated in accordance with her wishes and her ashes were sent home to her mother in Mount Dora, Florida.
