From postmortems a livelihood springs

Vidal Herrera has heard every joke about death.

But death has been a godsend to Herrera, who runs three growing businesses out of a gray, two-story building along a dreary El Sereno strip of auto body shops and small warehouses.

After a back injury ended his career as a deputy field investigator for the Los Angeles County coroner's office, Herrera started 1800Autopsy.com, performing private autopsies, DNA tests and other forensic services. So successful, he turns away business at times.

A collector of antique morgue and mortuary equipment -- yes, he acknowledges it's an odd hobby -- Herrera created a thriving studio rental business, MorguePropRentals.com, after a friend gave his name to a TV production staffer searching for props. His "fully dressed" morgue studio, embalming tables, body crypts and other equipment have been featured on "CSI," "House," "Law and Order" and several other TV shows and movies.

Ever the entrepreneur, Herrera launched his third venture last year, CoffinCouches.com, recycling damaged or used coffins into glitzy special-order couches -- high-style macabre for the biker and Goth crowd.

"Death maimed me, death sustained me, and death motivates me," the stocky 55-year-old reflected. Also motivating Herrera is his entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to take chances.

His autopsy business was born of desperation after Herrera ruptured three discs in 1984 while moving a 284-pound suicide victim. Repeated surgeries and rehabilitation sidelined him and for years he was unable to sit or stand for more than 15 minutes at a stretch.

When Herrera explained his physical limitations "nobody gave me a job."

A stint as a contract employee retrieving tissue for Veterans Administration researchers sent him to local funeral homes. There he met grieving families anxious to know why their loved one died, and an idea was born. He founded 1800autopsy.com in 1988, which brings in annual revenue in the "low $600,000 range," and opened franchises in Orlando, Fla., Northern California and Las Vegas, with others to come.

Close to 180 people die every day in Los Angeles County, Herrera said, but the coroner investigates only a fraction of those deaths, generally when foul play is suspected.

Herrera's customers usually call with other concerns. Adult children want to confirm their father's diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease to allay or confirm fears they'll inherit the ailment. A hospital needs tissue for research or a widow, contemplating litigation, wants to know whether a defective pacemaker caused her husband's death.