Gustafson's 1949 high school yearbook photo. Photo courtesy of GC Historical Society

This month’s Greene County Historical Society program examines the life of a former resident who spent time in jail and then helped the federal government prosecute other criminals.

Deil O. “Gus” Gustafson grew up in Churdan and graduated from Churdan High School in 1949. In the 1960s he went on to be a lawyer, a college professor, and owned several banks and other businesses in Minnesota. In the 1970s Gustafson owned and operated the Tropicana casino and resort in Las Vegas and during that time his net worth was reported to be more than $20 million. Then in the 1980s, the media reported that “the Kansas City mob” had infiltrated his operations and he ended up serving a three-year stint in prison and later became a witness for additional federal prosecution of Kansas City criminals.

A panel discussion with some of Gustafson’s high school classmates, including Rosemary Fay Cassell and Doug Tucker, along with Cecil “Cy” Hoyle and moderators Chuck Offenburger and Paul White, will share stories and additional insight into the Churdan native.

The free program will be held at the Churdan Library at 1pm on Friday. No pre-registration is necessary.