NEW YORK, March 12 (AFP) - Instead of resting in peace, the body of a recently deceased man ended up in New York's equivalent of Purgatory: the city tow pound for illegally parked cars.

Funeral director Paul DeNigris had illegally parked his silver Dodge while preparing to drive the corpse to the airport so it could be flown to Miami for cremation, the Daily News reported Friday.

Only a small sign reading "Funeral Director on Official Business" alluded to the unusual passenger behind the tinted windows -- and traffic cops failed to spot it.

By the time DeNigris emerged from his office, his car and client had been towed away.

Sympathetic police at the pound waived the usual 185 dollars release fee.

But DeNigris said he had trouble remaining calm.

"I tried not to be too loud. I didn't want to scream, 'I'm the guy from the funeral home with the car with the person in back,'" he told the News.

"We try to be discreet."

Despite the hiccup, the eternally silent passenger did make his final flight to Miami, the News reported.