At age 18, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served on the USS William C. Cole in the Pacific Theater.

[3] A two-way end at Arnold College, Robustelli was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the nineteenth round of the 1951 NFL draft and was considered a long shot to make the team.

They won Eastern Division titles in 1958, '59, '61, '62, and '63, losing in the NFL championship game each time, in 1958 and 1959 to the Baltimore Colts, in 1961 and 1962 to the Green Bay Packers, and in 1963 to the Chicago Bears.

Although small for a defensive end at 6'0" and 230 pounds, Robustelli was exceptionally smart, quick, and strong and known as a superb pass rusher.

Although Mara retained the final say on football decisions, for all intents and purposes, Robustelli was the team's first general manager.

Their best finish during that span was 6–10–0 in 1978, a season which included a 19–17 debacle to the Philadelphia Eagles on November 19 which ended with what is known to Giants fans as simply "Miracle at the Meadowlands."

Robustelli announced his resignation as director of operations in conjunction with the Giants' dismissal of head coach John McVay on December 18, 1978, one day after the regular season finale.

[9] After his retirement as an active player, Robustelli spent one year (1965) as a color analyst for NBC's coverage of the American Football League.

[13][14][15] Robustelli's great nephew Dan Sileo played in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys.