Gus was a prominent figure in the St. Louis area for teaching baseball fundamentals to teams that won teenage titles. Later, Lombardo was successful with senior teams and as an organizer of the Heine Meine Semipro League.

For 10 years, Lombardo coached and managed the Southwest Kiwanis team, winning several championships. His senior team Ceresias in the Khoury League also won titles over a four-year span. His team also competed in strong Heine Meine competition for six seasons.