‘CSI’ crew find selves on top of real thing

HOLLYWOOD – “CSI: New York” took a step nearer to being a reality show this week as it filmed at the Pacific Electric Building in downtown Los Angeles.

The smell of death that residents complained was pervading the building seemed a little too real even for crew members of the CBS crime scene investigation TV drama.

And it turned out it was. A maintenance worker concerned that a resident hadn’t been seen or heard from or paid his rent in months entered Apartment 538 on Tuesday and found a decomposed body, said Craig Harvey, chief of investigations for the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.

The man, still identified as a John Doe, had lung cancer, was said to be suffering from depression and may have used cocaine, Harvey said. The circumstances of his death are not considered suspicious, but the cause is still undetermined, pending autopsy, he said.

Doug Pierce, a Los Angeles Police Department Central Division homicide detective, said the “CSI: New York” crew was filming a couple of floors above the body but was never near enough to get a real taste of what the fictional drama is like in real life.

The main cast members, including star Gary Sinise, were not on the set when the remains were discovered.

The historic building, at 610 S. Main St., has been remodeled to include the upscale lofts. It is a favorite spot for location shootings, having played the newspaper office in “Spider-Man” and used as a backdrop for many productions seeking an East Coast feel in Southern California.