Lombardi, a
Republican, began his political career on the Syracuse Common Council, where he served for six years beginning in 1959. He then went on to serve as a member of the
New York State Senate from 1966 to 1992, representing the Syracuse area. He was Chairman of the Committee on Finance from 1989 to 1992. Lombardi was known as a proponent of community services, including New York's "Nursing Homes Without Walls" program. Lombardi helped earn $15 million in state funding to build the
Carrier Dome. ==Personal life and death==