Week in Review : CRIME : Bar Operator Slain in Home

A motive in the slaying of the well-known operator of a topless bar is still unclear as police continue the investigation.

James Lee Casino, 48, was shot and killed about 11:30 p.m. Thursday by two men who broke into his Buena Park condominium, tied up his girlfriend and made off with jewelry, furs, a Chevrolet Camaro and a Mercedes-Benz.

Casino, 48, an ex-convict who also used the name James Lee Stockwell, was led at gunpoint through his home and forced to point out keys and valuables before he was shot once in the head with a small-caliber handgun, Buena Park police spokesman Terry Branum said.

Casino was a reputed gambler, convicted swindler and “controller” of the Mustang, a topless bar in Santa Ana that police say has been used for “high-priced prostitution.”

Before Casino was shot, the intruders used a bandanna and a belt to tie his girlfriend, Shelly Faciones, 22, by the hands and feet, Branum said. She was able to free herself about 20 minutes after the shooting and called police from a neighbor’s house.

Investigators said they were unsure about a possible motive. “So far it’s just a robbery, but anything’s a possibility at this point,” Branum said.

Branum said Faciones described the intruders as Latino, but otherwise had provided little information about them. The California Highway Patrol found Casino’s Camaro abandoned on the Riverside Freeway near Knott Avenue on Friday. But his 1984 Mercedes 550 SL was still missing. The intruders ignored Casino’s Rolls-Royce, which was still in the garage.

Casino had a checkered career that includes two criminal convictions, rifts with business partners and several lawsuits, law enforcement officials said.

According to those familiar with Casino, he was born James Lee Stockwell on Dec. 25, 1938, but changed his name while serving prison time after he saw a newspaper clipping about a federal investigation into money-skimming at a Las Vegas casino. The headline, “Casino Under Federal Investigation,” inspired Stockwell to adopt a new name, they said.