above: Veteran NBA referee and Stamford native bennett salvatore (seated) with his niece brittany smegal, granddaughter ella, son jeff (Ella and Mikey’s uncle) and grandson mikey on the SHS field named in honor of his father-in-law, Andy Robustelli. – Photograph by Kyle Norton
In the span of 61 days in 2011, Stamford lost two sports legends. Only one, however, was widely known outside of the local community.
Jeanne Dora Robustelli died on April 1, 2011, and her husband of 54 years, Andy, passed away on May 31. A Hall of Fame defensive end for the New York Giants and a prominent businessman, Andy’s exploits were well-documented and celebrated across the nation. His wife, however, was just as influential in her own way.
They had nine children, 29 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren at the time. Jeanne was a fixture on the sidelines for decades following their sports activities, and so much more. She devoted her time to her family in whatever role was needed. For all her husband’s athletic prowess, Jeanne’s family still savors her contributions in creating and maintaining a tight-knit bond.
“She went to every sporting event she could,” Brittany (née Salvatore) Smegal says about her grandmother. “They taught us what it meant to be a family. We loved growing up here because everything centered on family.”
Former high school sports star and long-time NBA referee Bennett Salvatore married one of Jeanne and Andy’s daughters, Laura. Another daughter, Tina, married Paul Salvatore (no relation to Bennett). That helps explain the legacy of all the Robustellis and Salvatores who have contributed to the success of Stamford sports teams. There is more to their story, however.
The athletic roots for those young athletes were established at Sunday morning breakfasts, summer stayovers, and holidays when all of Jeanne and Andy’s children and grandchildren gathered and played.
“Growing up all we did was sports,” says Jeff Salvatore, Bennett’s son. “I always had a ball in my hand. We were all competitive as cousins. As we were watching television, somebody was always throwing a ball around the house. We called it Camp Nana.”
Jeff went on to play basketball and football at Trinity Catholic. Brittany (Paul’s daughter) played tennis as a young girl and went on to play volleyball, basketball, and softball in high school. Her brothers, Brad and Brendan, were also accomplished high school athletes. For the better part of 40 years, athletes with the surname Robustelli or Salvatore were frequently mentioned in high school sports reports.
“My family is my biggest sports influence,” Brittany says. “I used to go to all the games to watch my cousins Jackie (Salvatore) and Emily (Robustelli). They were so much fun to watch. And my brothers. I can’t remember any time when any of us weren’t playing sports.”
It helped that Jeanne and Andy never applied pressure on their kids or grandkids. Sports were simply organic, a way to burn energy and enjoy time together. Andy, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971, was born in Stamford and remained humble despite his notoriety.
“My grandfather never talked about being famous,” Jeff says. “I asked him two weeks before he died how it was being famous. He said he wasn’t famous. In fact, we never knew he was famous. We knew him as our grandfather. There was never any pressure. We just played sports for the fun of it.”
The sports landscape has changed in a lot of ways for young athletes, with private lessons and travel teams and a near-maniacal obsession with focusing on one sport for many youngsters at an early age. The Robustelli/Salvatore clan, however, figured out a better formula long ago. Sports should be played for enjoyment, not as a means to an end. Going on a century after Andy Robustelli was born, his legacy still carries forward. Among his many athletic descendants, his great-grandson Mikey plays football and lacrosse at Stamford High School and his great-granddaughter Ella plays soccer, basketball, and softball.
Cousins Jeff and Brittany now teach and coach at Rogers International School. They are carrying the sports torch ingrained in the family’s culture, established by two Stamford Hall of Famers.
“I try to teach the players that it’s a family and you work together,” Jeff says. “Work as hard as you can and stick together. So many athletes today feel it’s all about me. Really, it’s about the play before the dance and being viewed as a team player. That’s what I’m trying to teach.”
Putting family and community first is the same spirit embodied by the Lydens, Foxes, Stokes, and all the Stamford sports families excelling from one generation to the next.
“Most of our families were immigrants who settled here and taught us a lot about the importance of family,” says Brittany. “I think Stamford has something special. It’s kind of amazing to see all the people who have stuck around, and you don’t necessarily see that in other towns.”
just released!
“The Pope of the NFL: The Andy Robustelli Story and the Family that Loved Him” by son Bob Robustelli (former Trinity Catholic athletic director) is out now on Amazon. Its release coincides with the New York Giants season-long celebration of the organization’s 100-year anniversary. During the home opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, September 8, an on-field ceremony to acknowledge the top 100 Giants of all time will include Stamford’s own Andy Robustelli. The whole town will be watching.
Photographs: Yearbook and family photos and booklet courtesy Stamford Historical Society; rock by Garvin Burek; Bennet by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images; others contributed;
Read more about Stamford’s Top Youth Sports families: