Born in Patti, Sicily, Rampulla initially had short stints with Sicilian amateur clubs, such as his local team Pattese; he later also played for Cesena, where he competed for a starting spot with fellow future Serie A goalkeepers Sebastiano Rossi and Alberto Fontana.[1] After three seasons at Varese, Rampulla joined Cremonese in 1985 and became a protagonist in the club's rise to the Serie A league.[1]