Things are always changing so how about just roleplay and try to be smart? Some of these tips in the meta game are ok but maybe it is better to have newbie criminals who haven’t been given orientation from a faction fall into the newbie trap. There’s always going to be a learning curve, either way, and the goal post will never stop moving as features are added/changed.
Just don’t treat it like real life, leave your ego at the door, play your character somewhat seriously if you actually care, and don’t be too upset when/if you die or lose shit. Even the best of us take Ls or make dumb choices.
A Sicilian proverb comes to mind.
“Unu sbagghiu si po’ perdonare, ma du’ è ‘na scusa.”
(“One mistake can be forgiven, but two is an excuse.”)
This implication is that making the same mistake twice shows carelessness or intention, which is less forgivable, even if at times we play tongue-in-cheek (I know some people take this less seriously, even. I know it’s not real fucking life.) It aligns well with Mafioso culture’s emphasis on accountability and learning from errors. So, it fits to keep a clear head in character AND out.