His father Giacomo Tombesi dall'Ova was a nobleman and one of the four senators of Ravenna in the first half of the 15th century, whilst it was under the control of the da Polenta family.
He, Matteo Balbo and Obizio Monaldini were beheaded in 1440 on the orders of Ostasio III da Polenta for plotting in favour of a Venetian takeover.
[2] A confirmed Ghibelline, Gurlino had a son called Gurlotto who was a Guelph and who was killed in the Camera dei Savi massacre in Ravenna on 4 July 1522.
In July 1495 Gurlino took part in the battle of Fornovo between Charles VIII of France and Venice, commanding a column of around a thousand infantry and then (with Giovanni del Matto) the third Venetian line, consisting of around 3,000 men.
In 1497 he fought the French to capture Genoa before leaving Alessandria to settle in Felizzano without the consent of Andrea Zancano and Niccolò Foscarini, commanders of the Venetian army.