An Auckland ice cream chef who had his laptop stolen last week has been left “speechless” by overwhelming support from the online community.

Head chef and owner of Giapo gelato parlour, Gianpaolo Grazioli, had his Apple MacBook stolen from his Queen St store in Auckland around 2pm on Monday, April 23.

Grazioli was serving customers when a man picked up the MacBook from a counter and joined an accomplice waiting outside.

Grazioli did not notice it had gone missing until about one hour later. 

He put up the CCTV photographs and footage of the men involved on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube the same day.

The gelato parlour has more than 20,000 followers on Facebook and Twitter.

“The virtual world is very human,” says Grazioli.

 He says he is amazed by how quickly users started sharing the photographs to spread the word.

“It is not about what happened to me. It is about how emotionally grateful I am for the support. It is about being human,” he says.

International speaker, author and social media consultant Linda Coles says this is social media at its best.

Coles says the world has become a smaller place since the advent of Facebook, Twitter and online forums

“[Social media] is not just about pushing your product, it’s about being social.”

Coles says Grazioli already had a “significant tribe” on social media.

“He now has a greater tribe because people are sharing the photographs with their friends and family,” she says.

The stolen MacBook has tracking software and the police can trace it as soon as it is turned on.

“I don’t care about the guys who stole my computer. I just want it back but I will always be thankful to the wonderful everyday people who are helping me. I have never had support like this,” says Grazioli.

He discovered his laptop missing while in a meeting with AUT postgraduate journalism student Reynald Castaneda, who is working on a video project on Giapo.

“He just said, ‘My laptop is missing’ and started tracing back his steps,” says Castaneda.

“He got worried and confused.”

Grazioli says he remembers the man’s face quite clearly.

 ”He came in and looked around. He wasn’t interested [in the ice cream].”