The speed of life 

To Live And Die In L.A.

Delivery culture enters new terrain with 1-800-AUTOPSY, the toll-free number of Vidal Herrera’s Autopsy/Post Services. Herrera offers Los Angeles residents a range of services associated with the big sleep, from routine autopsies to a scary-sounding "posttraumatic cleanup." Customers turn to him if, for example, a patient dies unexpectedly in the hospital and relatives want an independent autopsy; he generally charges less than the L.A. County Coroner and may require less of a wait. With a business that’s essentially recession-proof, El Muerto, as he is known to Spanish-speaking Anglenos, is now planning to franchise his operations: Over the next five years, he hopes to open twenty-five branches in cities across the country.