[1][2] Portolano was born on 18 September 1960 at Agrigento, and entered high school at the Liceo Classico e Musicale Empedocle, and also served as part of the local athletic team "Libertas".

Portolano then entered the Military Academy of Modena in 1978 and graduated as part of Course 161 and also completed the Application School of the Army at Turin in 1981.

Following the aftermath of the Gulf War, Portolano was part of the Italian Forces assigned to the United Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) in 1991.

On 2007 to 2010, Portolano served at the Italian Embassy in London, United Kingdom as a Military Attaché and was also accredited in diplomatic missions in Ireland.

On 31 January 2020, Portolano also initiated operations and directions on the implementation of lockdowns and the declaration of state of emergency due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

On 17 September 2024, Portolano was appointed by the Council of Ministers as the new Chief of the Defense Staff, and replaced Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, who was named as the new Chair of the NATO Military Committee.

[12][13][14] After his assumption to the post, Portolano emphasized the importance of preparedness and urgency in upgrading the Italian Armed Forces against new threats in modern warfare, and on learning the lessons on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.