Petty crime does not will not improve your standings in the professional thief community, so you have to undertake the most spectacular and stylish robbery ever, the "Sting"... The player has to work towards this objective, increasing his fame, or rather notoriety. Getting to know the "right" people and doing successful "jobs" are the stepping-stones to this goal. However, there is no way you can do a "job" alone, you need "mates" to help you, and they will all want their share of the loot. It makes sense to keep their number as low as possible. Of course, the better known they are, the better they perform.