Thomas Brandi (born July 9, 1966) is an American professional wrestler known for his work in WCW as Johnny Gunn, the WWF as Salvatore Sincere, and for various independents under those names, his own, and as The Patriot.note He debuted in 1985 and has wrestled primarily all over the U.S. for decades. He made his PPV debut at WCW's Halloween Havoc 1992, teaming with Shane Douglas and Tom Zenk in a win over Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton and Michael Hayes.
Among his in-ring achievements, he is a former NWA-ECW Tag Team Champion with Tommy Dreamer as Johnny Gunn, a former ICW/IWCCW (New England) Tag Team Champion under his own name with his trainer King Kahlua, a former ICW/IWCCW Television Champion, a former IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion as Salvatore Sincere, a former NWA National Heavyweight Champion as Salvatore Sincere and a former 2x MEWF Heavyweight Champion (1x as Johnny Gunn and 1x as Salvatore Sincere).
Despite being known as Johnny Gunn, he has no connection to Billy Gunn.
"Sincere Tropes":
- All-American Face: As The Patriot, he was a good guy who loved America.
- Alliterative Name: Salvatore Sincere.
- Artistic License – Geography: As Sincere, he was billed from "Italy." Not any specific place in Italy, just "Italy."
- Chippendales Dancers: "Chippendale" was his original Red Baron.
- Demoted to Extra: Salvatore Sincere was one of several characters who was brought into WWF during the New Generation Era in the mid-90s, briefly treated as a soon-to-be superstar, only to be demoted to Jobber within the first couple months he was there.
- Finishing Move: "Sincerely Yours" (a full nelson slam), renamed "Housequake" after he shed the gimmick.
- Ironic Name: Salvatore Sincere (and yes, it was pronounced like the English word, and not like "sin-seh-reh" like an Italian would actually pronounce the name) actually wasn't sincere at all.
- Jobber: Pretty much his status once the initial push of the "Sincere" gimmick waned out, and Marc Mero even called him one.
- Joisey: "The Full Breasted Italians", Angel Orsini and Salvatore Sincere, were billed from New Brunswick, New Jersey.
- Power Stable:
- (in ICW/IWCCW): The Heart Throb 4, with Chris Candido, Darren Wyse and Flex Lavender.
- (in Maryland Championship Wrestling): The First Family and The Profit Foundation.
- (in IWA Mid-South): The Players' Club.
- Real Men Wear Pink: As Sincere, he wore lots of pink and white, but that didn't make him any less manly.
- Self-Proclaimed Liar: This was the whole idea of the Sincere gimmick, he said he was sincere even though he actually wasn't.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Tommy Dreamer and Johnny Gunn defeated Tony Stetson and Johnny Hotbody for the NWA-ECW Tag Team Titles at ECW's November to Remember 1993, on November 13, 1993. Gunn didn't make it to the December 4 event. Shane Douglas substituted and turned on Dreamer, costing them the belts to Kevin Sullivan and The Tazmaniac, leading to Douglas renaming himself "The Franchise" and becoming the colossal Jerkass that the world would come to know and hate.
- Wearing a Flag on Your Head: After dropping the gimmick, he switched to trunks featuring the Italian flag.
